Reflections Magazine February 2025

February 2025

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REFLECTIONS MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2025

Editor: Barrie Farnsworth, E: barrief@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Advertising: Mike Snow, M: 07966 445452 E: mikes@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Advertising: Helen Wragg, M: 07973 672582 E: helen@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Managing Director/Photographer: Robert Bannister, E: robert@bannisterpublications.com

Art Editor: Ben Fletcher-Bates, E: design@reflections-magazine.com

Social Media: Rebecca Bloomfield, E: hello@bannisterpublications.com

Accounts: Helen Holgate, E: admin@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Distribution: E: distribution@bannisterpublications.co.uk

Published by: Bannister Publications Ltd. Tel. 01246 550 488 (3 lines). Bannister Publications Limited, Office 2A Market Hall, Market Pl, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. S40 1AR. Reflections is published monthly and delivered directly to homes which fall into tax bands D to H and the following postcode areas: DE4 - 2, 3, 4, 5 / DE45 1 / S18 5 / S30 1 / S40 - 1, 2, 3, 4 / S41 0, S41 7, 8, 9 / S42 - 5, 6, 7 / S43 - 1, 2,

16 Help of hundreds creates Hardwick Hall’s lost masterpiece

Helen Shepherd finds that hundreds of visitors and volunteers have created ‘A Virtuous Woman’ at Hardwick 26,38,68,86,89 Countywide News

All that’s been happening across the county in words and pictures

32 Rising from an arid desert: part two Godfrey Holmes examines some of Chesterfield’s newest architecture

42 Discovering a new life after love… Valentine’s season can be difficult for those negotiating break-ups or searching for a new partner. Fiona Stubbs meets a divorce and intimacy coach who can help

44 A star kicks off our 2025 photographic competition

60 Pitcher Wits

61 Crossword

62 Fashion

You’ll be ticked pink about the news this month, says our style guru Amy Norbury

66 Hare today, gone tomorrow

Peter Wrigglesworth writes about the mountain hares he loves to see on the Derbyshire moors

70 Artist of the Month: Jane Littlefield

Steve Brown meets the Great Longstone woman who creates stained glass artwork

74 Food Review: The Peacock at Owler Bar

78 Focus on Food & Drink

Barrie Farnsworth discovers it is Cornish Pasty Week at the end of February, and offers an authentic pasty recipe

82 Derbyshire’s oldest schools – and there’s plenty of them still going

Barrie Farnsworth looks at old schools in Derbyshire, including the history of Lady Manners School, Bakewell

Cover: Lindsey Hall, who is a divorce and intimacy coach. Read all about her work on P42. Picture by Natasha Cadman.

88 Antiques

Our antiques expert Vivienne Milburn looks at a right royal treat, from a home near Bakewell, that made thousands at auction

90 Chesterfield certainly ‘suited’ Montague Burton

The Russian who founded the world’s biggest business of its type started his firm in Chesterfield, as Barrie Farnsworth reports

92 Monochrome Memories

Barrie Farnsworth reports on one of Chesterfield’s oldest coaching inns

94 Out & About

Enjoy a winter walk at one of the parklands of a National Trust property in Derbyshire

96 What’s On

Our comprehensive guide to forthcoming events across the county and beyond in February and early March

Urgent Call for Foster Carers in the East Midlands

In September last year, Becky and Tim Priest (foster carers) hosted a foster information morning at Deja Vu, Brampton. This was such a success that they are hosting another on 23rd March 2025 at Armistead’s, Chesterfield, S42 7TP

Becky and Tim have been fostering for 5 years, when they started , they were eager to speak with other carers to ‘get a feel’ for what was involved, but at that time, this just wasn’t available. Hence why they are hosting these events. They are providing a safe space for potential foster carers to ask any questions and find out

whatever information they would like to know. There will be current foster carers, carers who are going through the fostering process and social workers to speak to. Fostering is such a rewarding thing to do, giving a child a safe home and stability is crucial to them thriving in life. Derbyshire are so short of foster carers that it’s

Ever thought about fostering?

INFORMATION MORNING AT Armisteads, S42 7TP

Sunday 23rd March 2025 9am-12pm

Contact Becky: 07970 817425

Or feel free to just pop in on the day.

Complimentary refreshments provided Come and chat with experienced foster carers

essential that we get the word out. Fostering isn’t such a scary thing and the support that these foster carers receive from their agency is unbeatable.

A generous allowance is given to all foster carers to allow them to support and provide for the children in their care. All you need is to be over 21, have a

Requirements:

3 Spare Bedroom

3 Over 21

3 Willingness to learn

spare bedroom and the right to work in the UK. We are also rated Outstanding by Ofsted. If you’d like any more information then please feel free to pop into Armistead’s on the given date for a free cuppa and cake and a chat, or if you’d prefer, contact Becky on 07970 817425.

Discover stories of amazing women in Chesterfield’s history

ANEW exhibition at Chesterfield’s West Studios aims to mark International Women’s Day by celebrating the extraordinary women who have called Chesterfield home.

Run in partnership by Chesterfield Borough Council’s Museum service, Chesterfield College, Derbyshire LGBT+ and local community interest company Kakou, the exhibition includes interactive activities, stories from across the community and a unique collection of artworks created by local students.

An art exhibition within an exhibition, local students have each created a pair of shoes with the theme ‘Journey & Identity’ - exploring

connections to identity and different ideas surrounding femininity and feminism.

The exhibition looks at the lives of pioneering women who have played a significant role in the history of Chesterfield including Mary Swanwick, Violet Markham, Florence Robinson and more. Derbyshire LGBT+ and Kakou have both contributed stories to the exhibition.

Funded through Arts Council England the exhibition forms part of the Museum on the Move project which aims to help people connect with the borough’s history whilst Stephenson Memorial Hall is closed for refurbishment.

The free exhibition will be run from Friday 21 February

until Thursday 27 March and will be open Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to 3pm. There will also be a printmaking workshop on Saturday 1 March and a codebreaking workshop on Saturday 15 March.

To find out more about the exhibition, visit: www. chesterfield.gov.uk/museum

Explore history with the MUSEUM ON THE MOVE

THE Chesterfield Museum team has been staging a range of roving exhibitions across the borough – and there are lots more events planned this year.

During February half term you’ll be able to take part in some traditional games at Poolsbrook Community Centre. From Medieval quoits to a Victorian mini theatre, there are plenty of handson activities for everyone to enjoy.

In March you can discover the ‘Extraordinary Women’ of Chesterfield in West Studios. This exhibition will include incredible stories of local women, and artworks created by students at Chesterfield College will explore ideas of feminine identity.

Step back in time to discover the Tudor period at an interactive exhibition that includes replica Tudor objects, mysterious Tudor items to identify and fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. The exhibition will be hosted at Hasland Village Hall in April.

Together with Duckmanton Primary School the Museum will be holding a Viking extravaganza with lots of fun activities including weaving, shield making and rune writing, plus there might even be some invading special guests.

During the summer holidays you’ll be able to step back to Medieval Cestrefeld – with lots of fun activities and games. You might even be able to go shopping at a Medieval market stall. This interactive exhibition will be held at Mary Swanwick School from late July until early August.

The Museum on the Move programme is being delivered by Chesterfield Borough Council thanks to funding provided by Arts Council England. It is helping residents connect with history and culture whilst Chesterfield Museum and the Pomegranate Theatre are closed for a major renovation project.

You can find out more about all the upcoming events by visiting: www. chesterfield.gov.uk/museum

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Help of hundreds creates Hardwick Hall’s lost masterpiece

Helen Shepherd finds that hundreds of visitors and volunteers have created ‘A Virtuous Woman’ at Hardwick Hall.

MORE than 400 years ago, Bess of Hardwick commissioned a series of five magnificent embroideries, called ‘The Noble Women’. Originally intended for Chatsworth but then taken to hang in her private chambers at Hardwick Hall, these pieces celebrated the female figures from history, myth and legend that Bess felt represented her and the virtues that mattered to her. Together, they projected the image of herself that she wanted the world to see.

Four of these magnificent applique wall hangings survive and remain on display at Hardwick: Lucrecia with Charity and Generosity; Penelope with Perseverance and Patience; Zenobia with Greatness and Prudence; and Athemesia with Constance and Piety. However, the fifth in the series, Cleopatra with Justice and Fortitude, has long since been lost.

Last year artist Layla Khoo embarked on a mission to reimagine the lost embroidery for the 21st century. Over several months, ’A Virtuous Woman’ project saw thousands of visitors to Hardwick Hall, as well as volunteers and staff, work alongside Layla to create a new textile that has now taken its place alongside the four remaining originals and will be on display to the public throughout 2025.

The aim of the project was to create a

Above: A Virtuous Woman is on display at Hardwick Hall throughout 2025. Picture by Paul Harris, courtesy of the National Trust.

Left: Artist Layla Khoo. Picture by Patrick Coleman.

Right: The embroidery includes the values and virtues that modern visitors hold in high esteem. Picture by Patrick Coleman.

fifth embroidery that reflected the spirit of the originals, whilst capturing modern ideas of what it means to be a ‘noble’ or ‘virtuous’ woman. Layla says: “We asked visitors to consider the existing embroideries and think about whether the virtues and values captured there still matter today, and whether traditional ideas still stand. We were also interested to hear what other qualities people hold in high esteem and consider important. The aim was to encourage a modern audience to think about what female virtue actually means today.

“We also asked visitors to tell us who they think are the women who embody those values now. Who do we look up to and why? People were encouraged to name any woman that they find inspiring today, whether a modern, historic or even fictional figure.”

Public involvement in the project didn’t stop at mere suggestions, however. This was a truly participatory work that saw visitors encouraged to help create the piece by cutting, writing, sewing and embroidering words and names on to pieces of fabric ready to be included in the finished work. A dedicated space at Hardwick became a hive of activity, with the artwork brought together on site by hundreds of visitors and volunteers.

The final result is a celebration of a wide, eclectic mix of modern and historical figures with women as diverse as Dolly Parton, Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Anne Bronte, Queen Victoria and Ada Lovelace all featured within the dress of the embroidery’s central figure. This modern ‘virtuous woman’ is surrounded by a host of values that are considered important to today’s Hardwick visitors, from resilience and humility to artistry and boldness.

Layla said: “The choices have been really broad and varied, and there were some incredible conversations about the decisions people were making and why people held particular women in high esteem. It really does feel like a genuine representation of the wide-ranging views and experiences of everyone who contributed. And that’s probably the biggest personal takeaway for me: seeing people sharing their stories, talking about the choices they’re making and why they’re making them, and seeing them genuinely interested and engaged in someone else’s perspective.

“And it’s not just well-known women

who have been featured. We’ve had people embroidering the name of their mums, grans, aunties and best friends. And it’s been lovely hearing the stories of why people have chosen those women and why they are inspirational. So while there are some big names on there, there’s lots of people that aren’t well known but have still had a big impact on someone.”

Although the new work is a 21st century interpretation of ‘A Virtuous Woman’, its design and creation deliberately reflects much of the original lost embroidery. At more than 10 metres square, it is the same size as its predecessor, and shows a single

The Noble Women embroidery ‘survivors’ on display at Hardwick Hall. Picture by Helen Shepherd.

Visitors of all ages were encouraged to contribute to the project. Picture by Paul Harris, courtesy of National Trust.

female figure framed in an archway, flanked by two smaller archways and two columns. It uses the same applique techniques that were used to craft the 16th century works. Like the original, which was made of recycled materials including Catholic vestments acquired from the reformation of the church and the dissolution of the monasteries, the new work is also made up of reused fabric, much of it donated by Hardwick’s volunteers and staff. Although such was the interest in the project, the original design had to be amended to honour the commitment that every single contribution from members of the public would be included in the final piece.

The end result is a unique piece of work that has set a standard for new ways of working towards a genuinely collaborative work of art. Layla explains: “Thousands of people have contributed in some way or another. Some people have sat down at the table and sewed and been involved in a very interactive way, but some have just been fascinated by the ways other people have participated and in hearing about the choices other people are making. And to see the accidental collaboration – the times when someone might sew half a word and then someone else comes in and finishes it – has been great. There are some pieces that four or five people might have had a hand in.

“It’s also been really lovely to see people of all ages getting involved. The youngest sewers have been about four years old and the oldest in their 90s, with everyone in between. It’s been lovely to see the collaboration across different generations and genders, because we did have concerns that the project might feel exclusively for women and that certainly hasn’t been the case at all.

“There’s also been such a wonderful feeling of ownership from everyone at Hardwick. We involved the guides and volunteers from the very beginning. People feel like the work belongs here and they are a part of it, and they were really taken by the idea that they could be involved in creating something special which will be on display somewhere as amazing as Hardwick. And that’s been really, really lovely.”

Editor’s Note: The ‘A Virtuous Woman’ embroidery is now on display at Hardwick Hall until the end of this year. The project is part of the Woven Worlds programme, a wider two-year exploration of some of the magnificent textiles in Hardwick’s collection and how the remarkable Bess used tapestries, embroideries and other works to project her own power and self-image.

The main exhibition now on at Hardwick, ‘Material Power’, puts a spotlight on these internationally significant textiles to gain

A close-up of part of the skirt, showing lots of ‘virtuous women’ added by Hardwick Hall visitors. Picture by Patrick Coleman.

a deeper understanding about who Bess was, as well as highlighting the hours of care and conservation that go into looking after them today. The fully-restored Gideon Tapestries are also back at Hardwick after a 24-year conservation project that last year saw the National Trust win the prestigious Europa Nostra award.

HOMEMADE LPAS. WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

Laura Cowan, head of private client department.

Contrary to what you might think, powers of attorney (LPAs) aren’t just for the elderly. They’re really important no matter how old you are.

EVEN Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, says that a power of attorney is more important than a will—and perhaps he’s right. After all, when we’re gone, we don’t need looking after. However, while we’re still living, we need to know that someone we trust will take care of our well-being (health and welfare LPA) and our finances (property and financial affairs LPA) if we can’t.

Your family and friends can’t automatically access your money, even if you trust them. If you don’t have an LPA, they’ll have to go through a timeconsuming and costly process with the Court of Protection before they can handle any of your financial or personal issues.

Admittedly, an LPA may cost a few hundred pounds, and writing your own might seem like a money-saving opportunity in the short term. However, getting everything right with an LPA can be complex, and mistakes can occur with homemade ones. Here, Laura Cowan, head of Graysons’ private client team, discusses some of these issues.

Completing the forms

It might seem like the cheaper option to complete them yourself, but the application forms can be intricate. If there’s a mistake on the application when it’s submitted to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), it will be rejected and have to be resubmitted, incurring additional costs.

Even if mistakes aren’t found when the LPA is submitted to the OPG, they

can be discovered when it’s used with banks and doctors, leading to rejection, delays and expense at precisely the moment when it’s most needed.

Being of sound mind

To create an LPA, the donor (the person creating it) must be of sound mind. A solicitor can assess mental capacity, but who ensures this with a DIY LPA? Vulnerable individuals may be pressured into signing documents. If it’s proved that the donor lacked the mental capacity to fully comprehend the implications of their actions, the LPA will be invalid.

Even if the donor possessed capacity at the time of creating the LPA but there are mistakes that need rectification or resubmission, the donor could have lost capacity by the time it’s addressed. In such cases, the proposed attorney would need to apply for a deputyship order – a lengthy and expensive process.

Attorneys

Appointing just one attorney is possible, though not recommended. What happens if the single appointment fails, perhaps due to the attorney’s own death or incapacity? Who would then represent the donor? The LPA would be invalidated. Even if two attorneys are appointed, it’s still possible for the LPA to fail if they’re jointly and severally appointed to act together. One attorney’s death or incapacity could render the LPA

ineffective. Specialist advice is highly recommended when appointing attorneys.

Ensuring the LPA is done correctly

Once granted and registered, an LPA will generally be in place until you die, even if you subsequently lose your mental capacity.

Laura Cowan, head of Graysons’ private client team and long-standing member of Lifetime Lawyers, says: “If you want to make sure everything is done correctly, it’s a good idea to get advice from a solicitor. They’ll make sure that you are giving your power freely and understand what you’re doing. They’ll also make sure that your attorneys know what they’re supposed to do and what the law says.

“Furthermore, solicitors play a crucial role in preventing fraud and abuse of power. If a solicitor doesn’t provide advice on the LPA, it becomes easier for it to be exploited. For instance, an unscrupulous attorney might persuade you to sign something you don’t fully understand or even misuse your funds for their own gain.”

Graysons’ private client team has many years’ experience in helping people ensure that their future is protected by professionally written LPAs. Contact our experts now to discuss your requirements. LC

Contact the Private Client Team: 01246 229393

Unit 14F, The Glass Yard, Sheffield Road, Chesterfield. S41 8JY

Email: wills@graysons.co.uk

Graysonslaw @Graysonslaw

Countywide News

Ex-landlord Pat (102) meets a cricketing legend again!

PAT Britland and her late husband Joe ran the Bowling Green pub in Winster for 20 years from 1962. They were keen supporters of Derbyshire cricket and often hosted several Derbyshire players of that era, writes John Stone.

David Bentley, the current owner of the pub, is in regular contact with Pat who, despite reaching the grand old age of 102, is mentally very sharp with amazing powers of recall. David had noted that Pat had numerous photos of Derbyshire players visiting the Bowling Green over the years and that Harold Rhodes was a particular favourite of hers.

So when he saw John Stone’s profile of Rhodes in a 2024 issue of Reflections, David saw to it that Pat received a copy of the magazine. But he didn’t stop there. He had it in mind that it would be a lovely idea to organise a reunion of the pair and, after enlisting the help of the county club, David managed to track down Harold Rhodes – a comparative spring chicken at 88 – who readily agreed to meet up again with Pat.

The reunion took place in mid-December at Pat’s care home near Matlock. It was a great success as Pat and Harold enjoyed reminiscing about days gone by. Harold was greatly fascinated by Pat’s impressive collection of photos, cricketing memorabilia and other items of interest.

Demonstrating that it was never too late to collect autographs, Pat got Harold to sign a photograph of himself at the Bowling Green in his younger days.

Congratulations Pat on reaching 102. Thank you to Harold for his kindness and well done David Bentley for going the extra mile to set up this very special occasion.

Uncovering the history of a Derbyshire village

THE hidden histories of a Derbyshire village are set to be brought back to life.

Tibshelf Local History and Civic Society has received a grant of £72,600 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to capture and celebrate the rich and diverse stories of the village’s residents, expanding upon their successful ‘Miners to Medics’ project.

The society aims to delve deeper into Tibshelf’s history through various mediums including digital media, oral histories,

and community engagement. The project will explore a range of themes, including sports history linked to Olympic cyclists, political movements, railway stories, suffragette movements and the role of local miners during the war.

Ivan Brentnall, chair of the society, said: “This grant allows us to preserve the unique heritage of Tibshelf and deepen our understanding of the people who have shaped this community. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are excited to bring these stories to light, engaging residents and visitors alike through exhibitions, a talking book and even a heritage trail.”

The Tibshelf Local History and Civic Society previously received support from the Heritage Fund for their ‘Miners to Medics’ project, which explored the story of local miners providing medical care for the military in the Boer War and World War One.

Chesterfield folk focus on weight-loss…

NEW data reveals the UK cities and towns are most focused on weight-loss – and Chesterfield is in third place.

The study, carried out by the weight-loss programme, Second Nature, examined obesity rates across the UK and analysed over 200 keywords to pinpoint the areas with the highest interest in weight loss.

In first place was Rochdale, and Blackpool was second. Chesterfield followed them in third place. It’s a town where 38 per cent of adults are classified as obese and 74 per cent are overweight.

In December, over 12,000 searches for weight-loss methods were recorded for Chesterfield folk.

Above: Pat Britland (102) has a visit from cricketing legend Harold Rhodes (88) at her care home.

Above: Many Tibshelf colliers ended up as experts in nursing care for soldiers in World War One.

Mum loses six stone

A DERBYSHIRE

mum is feeling more confident than ever after turning 30 and losing six stone. Jess Westbury has been named one of Slimming World’s Icons – a new competition for the weightloss organisation for 2025 – went from 17st 6lbs to 11st 6lbs in less than two years. It was in early in 2023, after having her daughter, Ella, when Jess decided to join her local Slimming World group at Danesmoor. Jess, who works as an account manager for a haulage company, says: “I started putting on weight when I was around 16. Looking back now, my weight was having a big impact on my day-to-day life. My knees and back were in constant

pain. Ella was still so small – she was the motivation I needed to make a change.”

When a Slimming World leaflet came through her door, Jess decided to join Consultant Kerry Wright’s group in Danesmoor. She says: “It was the best decision I could have made.”

Jess embraced Slimming World’s healthy eating plan right away. She says: “I love food, so knowing I didn’t have to stop eating the food I love, like chips and chilli, or that I didn’t have to cook separate meals for my husband Dan and Ella, was music to my ears. Our family favourite is spaghetti bolognese.”

Jess continues: “I no longer hide in baggy black clothes. Now I love experimenting with different styles of clothing – and wear bright colours too.”

Jess and Dan, (37), got married last summer. She says: “2024 was a big year for me – I got married in my dream wedding dress. The fact that I can run around after Ella and even go down the slide with her in the park is huge for me. I can’t wait to be the mum that wins the egg and spoon race at school now!”

Via Gellia road closures…

THE Via Gellia road between Cromford and Newhaven (A5012) will be closed at various points by Derbyshire County Council from January 27 and all through February for the felling of trees suffering from ash dieback.

Throughout this time, sections of the road will be closed completely to traffic on weekdays between 8am and 4pm. Onsite signage will advertise the sections of closures and show diversions to local communities. Overnight, one lane will be open with traffic lights in place.  Replacement trees will be planted the following winter.

Flower boat needs replacing

THE Chesterfield Canal Trust’s flower boat has been a standout feature at Hollingwood Hub for over ten years.

Despite heroic efforts for several years to hold it together, it is now utterly rotten and they must replace it.

Apparently, the Trust has had lots of suggestions, including clearing the whole thing away and just having a flower bed, getting another boat or building a brick structure.

If you have any ideas that you can help put into practice, email rod@uton.org

The Trust has confirmed that all four of its tripboats are available for charters, at £70 per hour for up to 12 people.

Charity at Christmas…

MATLOCK Town Council held a charity Christmas Day Lunch event at the Imperial Rooms. The gathering welcomed almost 60 guests, who would have otherwise been alone at Christmas, and was made possible by the efforts of over 20 volunteers.

Generous local businesses provided the three-course lunch, gifts to take home, and prizes for the festive games of bingo, called by Coun Ashley Orwin, and ‘Play Your Cards Right.’ MCs for the event were Terry and Jill Eckersley of the River Network charity.

The council’s next charity event is a Valentine’s Bingo Night, set to be called by Coun Ashley Orwin, on Friday, February 14 at 7pm at the Imperial Rooms. The event will raise funds for Golding Grange, the Mayor, Coun Jason Knighton’s chosen charity.

For more information about the Bingo Night, or to learn how you can contribute the council’s charitable initiatives, contact enquiries@matlock.gov.uk

Sponsorship of Panthers’ move into football

TILIA Homes, part of the untypical group, has sponsored Chesterfield Panthers’ newly-formed U15s football team.

The partnership marks an exciting new chapter for the Panthers, as they launch their first ever football season, building on over 100 years of rugby tradition.

Amerjit Atwal, regional managing director of untypical, said: “We are excited to support Chesterfield Panthers as they embark on this new venture. Our Forest Edge development, located a short distance from the club, exemplifies this commitment. Forest Edge is a vibrant new community of 3, 4 and 5-bedroom homes where residents can flourish in all aspects of life, both on and off the field.”

Tom Bell, secretary at Chesterfield Panthers, said: “We are incredibly grateful for Tilia Homes’ support. It’s collaborations like these that enable us to continue our ‘Panthers, Pride & Passion’ tradition across multiple sports.”

Jess Westbury has lost six stone in less than two years.

Below: The rotten flower boat at Chesterfield Canal’s Hollywood Hub.

RISING ARID DESERT FROM AN PART 2

Saltergate’s remodelled multi-storey car park: an attempt to make the motor car as sculpture less prominent.

All pictures by Godfrey Holmes.

GodfreyHolmes examines some of Chesterfield’s newest architecture.

CHESTERFIELD: not the only big town in England to face the closure of its main extractive and manufacturing industries; not the only town to suffer severe shrinkage of its retail offering, including department stores; not the only town to surrender itself to the automobile; in other words a town at the crossroads, has not only seen a sudden upsurge of new buildings, but illustrated that a first bash at re-purposing its architecture might fail, so requiring a second attempt on the same site.

And the re-building of Chesterfield has not been gradual: more a slumbering giant that re-awoke for the Millennium; rather earlier between the years of 1985 and 1990 when that critical development The Pavements became reality. All this in place of an earlier, and eventually abortive, move to flatten the town’s historic core. Thus only the iconic Crooked Spire was guaranteed to survive – and even that ancient place of worship suffered a terrible fire in 1961.

Quality undoubtedly matters more than quantity in design-and-build. And quality was undoubtedly sacrificed to bland modernism in Chetwynd House, the GPO’s first imported Accountant General’s Department; later with the hasty construction of the brand new Do-It-All megashed on an equally ravaged Ravenside Retail Park, location of the town’s former abattoir. Even Chesterfield’s world-beating swimming pool in its Victorian Queen’s Park had to be demolished so soon after an expensive Noughties’ renovation.

One salient criticism of Chesterfield’s new buildings – despite their being majority successful in the function for which they were commissioned – is that they were mostly conceived by men. That means each corner is square, their overall appearance stern. “Little boxes, little boxes” begins folk music’s critique of bog-standard housing estates; leaving Chesterfield to go in for big boxes, then bigger boxes. Square or rectangular buildings are much cheaper to construct: bland and uncontroversial as they are in the sight of passers-by.

Marks & Spencer’s new home in Ravenside: Moving an important department store right away from Chesterfield’s oncebustling Market Place.

Above: The 2010 Market Hall extension and renewal. A Victorian centrepiece given a new layout and new life without the necessity –and regret – of total demolition.

Above inset: ‘Welcome to Chesterfield’ outdoor sculpture: Chesterfield is very strong on revelatory sculptures... this one next to the coach station.

Below: A really imaginative structure with space to breathe in Rykneld Square, opposite the Crooked Spire. Octagonal but now deserted.

Maybe only Chesterfield’s re-modelled and more “feminine” Midland Railway Station; and the Pizza Hut fronting onto Markham Road, seek to defy Steeplegate’s lack of character. A simple topping like a roof that imitates a wave crashing on the shore can do the trick. Anything to give variety to a monotonous streetscape. In defence of architects, most contemporary commissions come from publicly-funded, therefore cash-strapped, bodies. Remembering that these same visionaries have to shoehorn their creations between neighbouring buildings which must not be overshadowed or outdone. In the heart of most traditional market towns there are very, very, few virgin campuses.

One “early” building that used its unique position to show startling ambition was Chesterfield’s replacement – and astonishingly, now

redundant – Visitor Information Centre, handily discovered a stone’s throw away from the Parish Church of St Mary’s and All Saints’. My only reservation concerning this inventive octagonal structure is that its opaque black glass walls might be more suited to a funeral parlour. On the very corner of Chesterfield’s partlypedestrianised core stands the also-closed LIDL Supermarket, its twin gracing Whittington Moor. LIDL and its adjacent MECCA were built on a former gasworks; consequently, site clearance was a complex operation. On the footprint of LIDL at the foot of Foljambe Road now stands The Salvation Army, a switch that illustrates how certain progressive concepts – for example, German discount groceries – look faintly ridiculous upon chartered re-letting.

A more predictable re-purposing was when, in 2022, Marks and Spencer

planned to move into the long-unoccupied Debenham’s anchoring Ravenside Retail Park. That move, in turn, left a big hole on the already struggling Burlington Street. Hence the third prong of Chesterfield Borough Council’s master-plan for the town for the 2030s (a future rather more optimistic than how the North Midlands suffered during the 1930s?).

Puzzling it is that Chesterfield has not copied other towns or cities cladding its prominent buildings in mirror glass, golden or bronze. And quite consciously the Borough has – with the ugly exception of the former Inland Revenue at the foot of St. Mary’s Gate – kept the urban environment preciously low-rise. The town has also retained its “old-fashioned” Market Hall, and kept its distinguished Town Hall, inspired as it was, in almost every feature, by Northern Ireland’s Parliament Stormont.

Above: From humble beginnings, here is an extremely creative use of a key blank wall, opposite both the Coach Station and the back entrance of the Library, New Beetwell Street.

Far left: Utilita’s new headquarters off Basil Close, a strictly functional building, next to the Alexandra Private Hospital.

Left: The Pavements’ Bus Stops: a new approach to kerbside bus pick-ups... a hasty afterthought in the mid-1980s,

In conclusion, Chesterfield’s abundance of strictly utilitarian new, or reconstituted, buildings is – like the curate’s egg – “good in parts,” deserving of praise for modesty also tidiness; and, with its two most recent multi-storey car parks – those fronting New Beetwell Street and Saltergate –proof that the town has not abjectly given itself over to the motor car.

1940s Market set to return in spring

THE popular 1940s Market is set to return to Chesterfield this spring.

The action-packed market will be on Thursday, April 10, transporting the town centre back to the 1940s with music, street performance and fancy dress.

Organised by Chesterfield Borough Council, the event takes place during the Easter school holidays and will happen alongside the popular weekly Thursday flea market.

Top award for Old Whittington firm

HERAEUS Electro-Nite (UK) has achieved a King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade for the development and global roll-out of revolutionary technology for the steel industry.

The King’s Award for Enterprise is the highest official UK award for British businesses. Winners can fly the King’s Awards flag at their main office

and use the emblem on marketing materials. This award is highly valued by suppliers, customers and employees.

Employing 72 people, Heraeus ElectroNite (HEN) (UK) is based in Old Whittington and has been trading since 1989 and has two ground-breaking products which are being exported globally. One is called CasTemp for measuring the temperature of molten steel in the tundish which is part of the continuous casting process. The other called CoreTemp is a revolutionary

system using optic fibre to measure temperature in the Electric Arc Furnace. Over the last 20 years HEN (UK) has increased its export sales from 10 per cent to 70 per cent of total sales.

The Heraeus Group is a familyowned German technology company.

In November, the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Mrs Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, visited their Old Whittington premises for an award ceremony.

Support for Eyre Chapel

WHAT’S thought to be one of the oldest buildings in Chesterfield, the Eyre Chapel has received a donation from the Chesterfield and District Civic Society to support its future preservation and protection.

The Eyre Chapel harks back to the

13th century and responsibility for the building passed to the Eyre family when they acquired the Manor of Newbold in 1570. It now serves as a community centre for use of those living locally.

The building is Grade II* listed in recognition of its historical importance. Chair of the civic society, Howard Borrell, said:  “In view of the chapel’s  importance, this listed building now more than ever needs assistance  and the Society is pleased to make a donation to aid its continuation.”

The Eyre Chapel is an architectural gem off Newbold Road,  despite it being hidden from view these days  behind the  Nags Head  pub. Originally built by the Abbot of Welbeck it was dedicated to St Martin, and in those days it marked the area where four ancient tracks came together. The chapel is to have an Open Day in the spring – we will keep you posted.

Below: The Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire (centre) with the team at HEN (UK) in Old Whittington.

DiscoveringA NEW LIFE AFTER LOVE

Love is in the air – but Valentine’s season can be difficult for those negotiating break-ups or searching for a new partner. Fiona Stubbs meets the coach bringing hope and happiness

to divorce and dating.

LINDSEY Hall is all smiles. Chatty and effervescent, there’s little trace of the challenging personal journey she has encountered from shock separation, through coparenting conflicts to finally divorce.

A former corporate accountant, Americanborn Lindsey enthusiastically explains how her experiences led her to retrain as a divorce and intimacy coach, helping others to navigate the break up of long-term relationships and the intricacies of dating.

And then comes the jaw-dropping moment when she reveals how, on Boxing Day 2019, her husband announced news which ended their marriage – and turned her world upside down.

“We had two daughters – a newborn and a two-and-a-half-year-old,” she recalls. “I was on maternity leave. Then, three months later, lockdown hit. I had two tiny kids at home, I was still full of post-natal hormones, I couldn’t go anywhere and my family was on the other side of the ocean. Looking back, that time is all a bit of a blur, but I muddled through, even though I felt broken.”

The turning point came when a friend referred her to an intimacy coach.

“It was the first time I started doing inner work, really sorting through what had happened and my part in all of it – and it massively changed my life,” she says. “And, it turned out that I wasn’t broken!

“Noticing how my coach helped me to sort through everything and how this work was impacting my life, I knew I wanted to help other people to experience these kinds of changes too. I trained, initially as an intimacy coach, alongside working in

Lindsey Hall.

my accountancy career before becoming a full-time coach in September 2022.”

As she examined her own experiences, Lindsey realised not only how much more comfortable she felt, but the impact it had on her relationships with other people and in her parenting.

And she identified a need for wider coaching, looking more closely at experiences of – and attitudes towards – divorce and dating.

“I was getting tired of the narrative that divorce has to be a completely bad experience,” she says. “I didn’t have friends who’d gone through it so they didn’t really know how to support me. My parents got divorced 20 years ago and they still hold on to old hurts. I didn’t want that for my future and I needed helpful advice for myself and the kids rather than the anger that everyone was sharing with me.

“It made me realise there was a need for divorce to be seen as a positive thing – a turning point, a chance to look at yourself and decide what you want, what’s best for the kids and what’s best for co-parenting.”

Originally from Wisconsin, USA, Lindsey met her ex-husband when, as a university student, she came to England to study for a term, returning to live in the UK in 2010. “The plan was to be here for two or three years and then we’d move to the USA but we kept staying because I really like Derbyshire and Sheffield,” she says. Lindsey works with clients remotely – throughout Derbyshire and across the country.

“The feedback I get from people is that it’s very much a breath of fresh air, bringing hope and excitement back into their lives,” she adds. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know well and I provide that experience of having been there, even if the details are different.

“There’s an important element of impartiality – friends and family are biased and have their own opinions on what you’ve been through. I’m not tied to you or your former partner, so we can work on moving you forward.”

The need to share children with an expartner is a key cause of anguish, as Lindsey explains: “People often say ‘how can I not see my kids all the time?’ I get that, but at the same time I’ve learned to like having some time to myself and to really appreciate my girls when they come back to me.

“The most important thing you can do for both you and your kids is to heal yourself. That’s the number one thing that will help your children to get through the split. I love helping other people to do it.”

She adds: “Our close intimate relationships have such an impact on how we show up in the world. How we deal with them can ripple out into all kinds of things – family, work, future relationships.”

Returning to dating after a break-up can be a daunting prospect and Lindsey acknowledges its complexities.

“When it comes to the dating side, I work with people who haven’t even started yet after a recent divorce and others who have been divorced a long time and are finding single life rubbish. People often say they want a relationship, but put up barriers,” she says.

“Dating can be a minefield at any time, but after a divorce there are so many other things at play. People talk about baggage and think ‘other people won’t want me’ – but we have to move past that.

“We all have hurts, past relationship patterns that we have to work through. If we keep doing the same things, we get the same outcomes. The more we can work on relationship skills, the better our next relationship will be.

“A lot of people say they don’t want to use dating apps; they’d rather meet someone in real life. But I think that’s just closing off another avenue. It’s okay to ebb and flow with the [dating] apps but it is a way to meet people that you otherwise wouldn’t meet. They’re another tool – one

Lindsey is a divorce and intimacy coach.

of many – to help you move on. It’s more about your attitude towards dating, being open to meeting new people.”

Lindsey now has a partner who she met at a barbecue but admits: “I might not have said yes to him if I hadn’t already been on dates with people I’d met online.”

At first, Lindsey worked solely with women but, as she began to date again, realised that this kind of coaching could also benefit men.

“I realised that, of course, men are also going through big things during a break-up,” she reveals. “It might show up in different ways and words but they’re experiencing similar emotions. They’re hurting too. And I’d say there are less resources to help men through this. It’s harder to find males willing to talk about emotional stuff.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised how many men open up [in coaching] about relationship matters. Many are disappointed about how their marriage or relationship ended and want to find their own lasting love story. There are a lot of good men out there!”

Healing continues when you enter a new relationship, says Lindsey. “You can

do lots of healing on your own, but some is done in a new relationship. It’s when you introduce a new partner that more stuff comes out, more healing happens.”

Valentine’s Day, with all its messages and commercialism, can be a difficult time for those dealing with a break-up – or looking for love.

“It brings relationships more into the foreground – and highlights what you’re missing,” explains Lindsey. “I remember going out with my girlfriends one Valentine’s Day. I saw all these couples and thought ‘why don’t I have that?’

“But not having a relationship at this moment doesn’t mean you’re not great or that you’re not going to have one again. It can be tempting, when you’re lonely, to think that having somebody is better than having nobody. But it’s not. You need a relationship that is right for you.

“All the couples become visible on Valentine’s Day but, if you’re single, it can be a great chance to love up on you. Do something that you love to do. Remind yourself why you’re so amazing.”

Lindsey coaches clients one-to-one but recognises a need for a community aspect too. Keen to bring divorce professionals together to provide a helpful network for people navigating this difficult time, she has launched a Divorce Lunch Club – a monthly

PICTURE COMPETITION

A shooting star kicks off our 2025 competition…

OUR readers’ photographic competition for 2025 has a simple theme –it’s ‘Derbyshire Events & Attractions’ – and it includes events, markets and festivals, stately homes, well dressings, sporting events and attractions from escape rooms and caverns to train rides.

And Andy Hanna, of Great Longstone, was quick off the mark, sending this image of one of the ‘Christmas at Chatsworth’ displays, taken on January 5.

The picture(s) you send

“You deserve happiness – and you can use your divorce experience as the catalyst to make it happen.”

gathering of professionals including solicitors, financial advisers and wills/trust advisers.

“I want us to be able to share our work, which is all based on relationships,” she says. “We need a more joined-up approach among divorce professionals – there’s room for all of us in this and, collectively, we need to do divorce better.”

Lindsey’s ultimate message is one of positivity: “You deserve happiness – and you can use your divorce experience as the catalyst to make it happen. We don’t have to do divorce like other people – and there is so much joy in your future if you choose to see it that way!”

Editor’s note: To find out more, go to www.lindseyhallcoaches.com

into the competition must be taken in 2025 and must be in Derbyshire; and you can enter as many times as you like. We want entries from amateur snappers – commercial photographers are barred from the competition – and drone images, or pictures altered beyond recognition

via software like Photoshop, will not be accepted.

Please email your entries to barrief@bannisterpublications. co.uk, giving your full name and address, a contact telephone number and a description (including the date it was taken) of the image, which should be attached as

a high-res jpeg. The winner will receive a meal for two at a top local restaurant, plus the chance to have a selection of their images published in Reflections. The deadline for entries is noon on Monday, October 13, 2025… so there’s plenty of time to enter!

…BUT SO MUCH MORE!

THEIR EXPERTISE ENCOMPASSES COMPLETE HOME EXTENSION PROJECTS, INCLUDING LIVING ROOM ADDITIONS, BEDROOMS, OR EVEN COMPLETE HOME REMODELS.

Just look at this recent home extension project with brandnew kitchen at Kirk Ireton…

Previous clients of Dan Ashcroft Design had moved to their dream home at Kirk Ireton.

Ideally, they would have liked to take their existing Dan Ashcroft Design kitchen with them! Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, but they had no hesitation in bringing Dan back to work some magic.

It was soon apparent that to replicate the open-plan family area that Dan meticulously created at their previous home would involve an extension.

DURING THE PROJECT

Thankfully, home extensions and complete home remodels are part of the comprehensive range of projects capable of being undertaken by Dan and his highly experienced team of exceptional craftsmen and tradesmen.

To start with, Dan creatively produced some concept drawings and costings, from which he was able to submit drawings for planning permission. The client was delighted with the innovation and imagination of the drawings and the plans were duly approved by both client and planning authority.

The installation was then able to get under way. The synchronisation of all the tradesmen was seamless considering the number of tradesmen involved. Naturally, such a complex project involved builders, electricians, joiners, plumbers, plasterers, and flooring fitters, so project management was key.

One of the best parts about using Dan Ashcroft Design is that Dan project manages the whole works – from initial concept and design to final installation – offering complete peace of mind to the client.

The project was by no means easy – but well within the capability set of Dan and his team. It involved removing an existing gable wall, so as to create the light and functional family open-plan kitchen,

dinner, and seating area. In this way, they maximised the views within the grounds of this stunning home.

The brand-new kitchen is marvellous in its own right. It boasts two Samsung ovens, a Samsung combi micro, a Samsung warming drawer, and a Samsung dishwasher, a full fridge, a full freezer, a Qettle boiling water tap, a Bora induction hob, Cosmic black granite worktops, and Shaker kitchen doors with copper accessories. There is LVT flooring throughout,

bi-fold doors, and the stone removed from the gable wall has even been re-purposed, so as to be the perfect match.

Simply stunning!

THE ONLY WAY IS HUP!

Hup! Hup! Hooray!... a dream extension in just 4 days!

HeatGuard leads the way forward in game-changing innovations... conservatory and extension construction revolutionised!

Hup! conservatories and extensions are pre-manufactured offsite, minimising mess in your home and garden. Disruption is also reduced significantly as there are never any weather delays and your conservatory or extension will be built five times faster than a traditional one. For homeowners, hup! is completely game changing. People often ask how they can add an extension or rebuild their unusable conservatory in the most

efficient way possible – hup! is definitely the answer. The hup! building system can be used to create stunning light filled extensions, conservatories, conservatory transformations, and garden homes.

Every hup! is constructed in materials that meet the latest Building Regulations standards for extensions, meaning they are extremely energy efficient. Plus, high performance glazing ensures that heat is retained inside, and solar gain is optimised to reduce heating bills and

prevent any temperature fluctuations. hup! walls are five times more energy efficient than house walls, ensuring every hup! room is comfortable all year round.

The better way to build –benefits and advantages

• Five times faster to build

• 4-day installation possible

• Zero waste manufacturing

• Five times more energy efficient

• Super strong i-beam structure outperforming traditional structures

• High quality finish

• Ultimate design flexibility

• Cost effective

• Project management by one team – from start to finish

• Wide range of roof styles and systems

• Patented Ultrapanel technology

• Millimetre precision engineering – perfect fit every time!

From waste of space to your dream place!

DISCOVER WINTER AT CHATSWORTH

WHILE CHATSWORTH HOUSE AND GARDEN ARE CLOSED FOR ANNUAL WINTER CONSERVATION, EXPLORE ITS FREE-TO-ACCESS PARKLAND OR DISCOVER A NEW SKILL WITH CHATSWORTH’S DIVERSE 2025 CULTURAL PROGRAMME.

FREE PARKING AND WINTER WALKS

EXPLORE the Chatsworth Estate this winter and enjoy free parking until 12 March, before the house and garden reopen for the season. The parkland and woodland are free to access and enjoy all year, with several walking routes through Stand Wood ranging from 1.5 miles to 4 miles, perfect for reconnecting with nature. Visit the Chatsworth website where you can view popular routes through the estate, and plan ahead for walks that offer scenic views of the Derbyshire landscape, or historic landmarks, such as the medieval Hunting Tower.

The Stables remains open throughout winter, where you’ll find a gift shop offering homewares, clothing and gifts sourced from the estate and local artisans. If you’d like a well-deserved treat after a walk through the park, the Parlour and Carriage House will be serving hot food, snacks and drinks, and the Chatsworth Farm Shop Café serves breakfast and lunch, just 2 miles away in Pilsley.

FEBRUARY HALF TERM

Discover ‘zombie trees’ in a free family workshop and walk during the halfterm holidays. In The Woodland Lab (18 – 20 February), children can use magnifying lenses to examine the fascinating world of moss, lichen and fungi, and take part in nature inspired art activities and walks. At the farmyard, feed the animals, cuddle guinea pigs and take the secret tunnel to experience new climbing, swinging and zip wire adventures in the woodland playground.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Chatsworth has long been known as a centre for creativity. Throughout the year, you can learn new skills ranging from embroidery to dry stone walling, with the winter period offering a variety of expert-led talks and workshops, covering subjects from agriculture to artwork, and orchids to book binding. Get inspired by the Peak District Artisan Showcase, which is free to visit in

DATES FOR THE DIARY

15 – 23 FEBRUARY: Half term at Chatsworth

15 MARCH: Chatsworth House, Garden, Farmyard and Playground reopen

30 MAY – 1 JUNE: Chatsworth Family Festival

6 - 8 JUNE: Chatsworth Garden & Plant Fair

13 – 15 JUNE: Celebrating Jane Austen

12 JULY: Classic Ibiza

29 – 31 AUGUST: Chatsworth Country Fair

31 OCTOBER – 1 NOVEMBER: Bonfire & Fireworks

8 NOVEMBER – 4 JANUARY: 2026: Christmas at Chatsworth

View a full list of events at Chatsworth.org/events

the Stables Gift Shop until 3 March. You can browse and buy original paintings, sculptures, ceramics and silverware by some of the most exciting professional artisans in the local area.

SEASON OPENING

The resilience and persistence of nature is celebrated in the 2025 exhibition, The Gorgeous Nothings: Flowers at Chatsworth, opening in the house and garden on 15 March. Featuring historical and contemporary works from Chatsworth’s Devonshire Collections plus loans from national and international museums, and new artist commissions, the exhibition celebrates the heritage of botany on the Chatsworth Estate. Entry included with house and garden tickets.

UNLIMITED VISITS

Become a Friend and support the work of the Chatsworth House Trust charity while enjoying unlimited visits to Chatsworth during open season, free tickets to the most popular events including Christmas and country fair, and discounts on shopping, dining and stays. Visit Chatsworth.org/friends.

CARPETS

Integrity: The key to lasting success

Chesterfield-based Holywell Carpets believe that honesty and trust are integral to meeting and exceeding customers’ expectations.

AS can usually be expected from a long-established family business, Holywell Carpets has stood the test of time through displaying the hallmarks of unparalleled customer service, uncompromising integrity, and unswerving reliability. Brothers Reg and Steve Hinde took over Holywell Carpets in 1989. Steve now manages the business in conjunction with long-standing and loyal employee, Martin Howroyd. Together, Steve and Martin have been working together at this highly reputable carpet company for 33 years. Previously, Steve had worked elsewhere in the carpet trade in a fitting capacity for ten years. Martin was at the company three years before Steve’s arrival. It’s fair to say that they know the business inside out. And they have done the hard yards! Both are

trained fitters and have many years fitting experience between them, Steve was ‘on the tools’ for 20 years and Martin 25 years.

Traditional values

Steve is proud of the old-fashioned values which have underpinned the success of Holywell Carpets. “If I wouldn’t have a particular carpet in my home, I won’t put it in yours,” said Steve. “Martin and I always tell customers the truth. Our business is based on a high moral code and honesty and truthfulness are at the very core of this.”

Carpet Foundation Membership

The Carpet Foundation is the UK carpet industry’s lead body. As a member of the

Carpet Foundation, Holywell Carpets is bound by a Code of Practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. The Code gives customers peace of mind that they are dealing with people they can trust. Carpet Foundation retailers are audited annually by the TSI to ensure compliance.

These are the benefits of buying from a Carpet Foundation retail member:

• Written quotations

• Deposit safeguards

• Written terms of business

• Impartial professional advice

• Free extended guarantees

• A free installation guarantee

• After sales procedures

Better Prices through Associated Carpet Group Membership (ACG)

With over 320 members, ACG is a national buying group dedicated to supporting independent flooring retailers. With a massively increased buying power, the ACG can secure the best trading terms with the best selection of flooring suppliers. This means that carpet retailers like Holywell

Carpets can pass on the savings to customers, making their prices much more competitive. ACG membership has a good number of benefits for Holywell Carpets, including enabling them to trade on equal or better terms than members of other groups or multiple outlets.

Derbyshire Trusted Trader Membership

Being a Derbyshire Trusted Trader tells customers that they are dealing with a fair and reliable business, which follows a code of practice. The scheme also establishes a vetting procedure and a framework for stringent quality standards.

Premium quality carpets and flooring from all the

leading

manufacturers

Whilst catering for a wide range of tastes, preferences, and budgets, Holywell Carpets uses most of the highest-quality suppliers of carpets and flooring.

When it comes to carpet displays in the showroom, Cavalier, Adam, Westex, Ulster, Abingdon, Penthouse, Cormar, Whitestone Weavers, Hugh Mackay, and Brockway are all well represented.

Steve is keen to point out that there are quality ranges for each of these suppliers. “I can show customers the difference in quality even within the Ulster range,” said Steve. “The key measurements they need to know to assess a carpet’s durability are its density, that is how closely knitted together its fibres are, and its pile height. In general, short, dense, heavy carpets

are more durable and hard-wearing than those with loose, shaggy fibres.

LVT flooring is ever more popular these days and Holywell Carpets has certainly got this covered. With premium brands like Camaro and Distinctive, backed up with vastly experienced and highly knowledgeable fitters, customers can rely on an immaculate finish to their superb new floor.

Holywell Carpets also stocks and fits quality ranges of vinyls, laminates, and carpet tiles.

11 widths of carpets – how to save money and avoid waste

Measuring floor space and estimating the amount of flooring or carpet needed is a skill. “Customers should never really buy a carpet until a room has been professionally measured,” said Steve. “We can save customers hundreds of pounds by using carpets which come in smaller width sizes. With eleven widths of carpets now available, choosing the most cost-effective width option can make a whole load of difference. Selecting the optimum width of carpet available in a given carpet range can minimise waste and save a small fortune!”

Giving genuine, objective, and honest advice is at the heart of everything they do at Holywell Carpets. “If we can save our customers some of their hardearned cash, we’ll do it,” said Steve. “With our price quotations, we also include the often-hidden extras. With us, underlay, grippers, doorplates, and fitting is always included in the cost.”

Customer reviews and feedback speak volumes

Here is a recent glowing review on Google: Dawn Higgins

“We recently received excellent advice, support and professional service from the team at Holywell Carpets. They give honest opinions prior to purchase with no pressure selling. Everything that is promised is provided in a timely fashion. The carpet fitters were friendly, helpful, considerate and polite. Having purchased several carpets previously I am confident I can go back to them if I need to as they provide a service for the long term. I would definitely suggest that if you’re looking for carpets that you give them a try.”

If an honest, reliable, and courteous service is what you’re after, look no further than Holywell Carpets.

Holywell Carpets, 40 St Mary’s Gate, Chesterfield, S41 7TH T: 01246 272 835  M: 07733 889430 E: enquiry@holywellcarpets.co.uk www.holywellcarpets.co.uk

PRIVATE SCHOOLS BOOST PUPILS BY TWO YEARS

Independently-educated pupils receive a boost equivalent to two years of extra schooling over state school pupils even after adjusting for social and economic bias, according to recent research.

A University study – the most sophisticated of its type to date – found that independent school pupils in England gained an advantage worth nearly twothirds of a GCSE grade higher once the effects of income, gender and prior attainment

Mount St Mary’s College

At the Mount, children have the freedom to explore their passions and expand their horizons. Our students, or Mountaineers, as they are affectionately known, gain the confidence to be themselves and are celebrated for their individuality. Children thrive at Mount St Mary’s College.

We are a Jesuit School, educating children of all faiths and none, focusing on the

were stripped out. “This difference equates to a gain of about two years’ normal progress and suggests that attending an independent school is associated with the equivalent of two additional years of schooling by the age of 16,” the research says.

The research, funded by the Independent Schools Council, suggests that the

attainment gap is larger than previously thought and can be found among all age groups, starting from the first years of primary school where pupils are aged four.

This is a particularly important piece of research which resets the dial on understanding how well pupils in England perform at different types of schools once background factors are taken into account.

The most obvious reason for the difference is the overall quality of teaching and learning, linked to a holistic education through which each child develops the confidence to do well.

Jesuit ethos of caring for the whole person. We see your child as an individual, with unique interests and strengths. With a broad curriculum of GCSE and A Level courses, we help students achieve and

exceed their academic goals. Outside of the classroom, the co-curricular programme offers opportunities to discover new hobbies and talents.

Our Open Afternoon is on 29th March 2025. Meet our

Headmaster, teachers, and students to find out what makes the Mount such a special place to live, learn and work. Call 01246 433388 or visit www.msmcollege. com to discover more.

Discover Freedom at Mount St Mary’s College

Birkdale School

Birkdale is a happy community where children thrive, individuals develop and journeys begin.

From their earliest years, our pupils acquire an appetite for knowledge, strong personal values, a sense of responsibility and the ambition to be the best they can be, all strong foundations for life.

An exceptionally high level of pastoral care together with a strong Christian ethos underpins daily life, and in this caring and supportive environment pupils flourish as they explore the opportunities open to them. Excellence is evident throughout the school, not least in the resources and outstanding teaching by professional and dedicated staff. With such close guidance and support, pupils

S. Anselm’s

For over 135 years, S. Anselm’s has been the Prep in the Peak – for boys and girls aged between 3 and 13, for day and boarding, for learning and nurturing for life.

At the heart of Bakewell, S. Anselm’s is a warm, nurturing and supportive community where children can be children, discover who they are and be themselves with unrivalled facilities like our innovation centre, sports hall, astro pitches, swimming pool and theatre. We offer the highest standards of education, combined with adventures, experiences and excitement that enriches pupils today and prepares them for whatever tomorrow holds. They emerge self-assured, interesting and considerate young people ready for their next steps.

develop intellectual curiosity, enjoy lessons, gain excellent examination results and are well prepared for the future.

We are delighted to announce that Ben Bowles will be joining us in April 2025 as the new Head of Birkdale School. Ben brings with him a wealth of experience with over 20 years in teaching

and leadership roles. Ben said: “Leadership of a school with such a great track record of academic success and care for the individual is both a privilege and great responsibility. I am honoured to be taking up the role of Head, and will dedicate myself to shaping our Birkdale schools as they seek to serve

pupils who will be at the cutting edge of the next generation.”

Discover Birkdale for yourself either by attending one of our Open Mornings, or booking a one-to-one visit where we can show you around the Prep or the Senior School, meet the Head and experience Birkdale more personally at a time to suit you.

S. Anselm’s pupils move on to a school that most suits them, including some of the most prestigious schools in the country and many pupils achieve scholarships at their

chosen school. Whatever the future holds for your child, we know that S. Anselm’s is the best place for the journey to begin. Discover our school for yourself by visiting us on

our Open Morning or booking a one-to-one visit where we can show you around the school, meet the Head and experience S. Anselm’s more personally at a time to suit you.

SHEFFIELD HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Inspiring Classrooms:

Alex Wilson, incoming Head at Sheffield Girls’ GDST discusses the Power of Subject Specialists and an All-Girls Education.

For Alex Wilson, the incoming Head of Sheffield Girls’ GDST, teaching is far more than delivering a syllabus; it’s a passionate vocation that transforms lives. “I look for teachers who are deeply passionate about their subjects and who focus on inspiring pupils,” she says. “They must be teachers of subjects, not syllabuses. While exams are part of the journey, the love for the subject must shine through in their teaching.”

Alex believes that great teaching is rooted in genuine care for pupils. “This can’t just be a job; it’s a vocation. The best

teachers are those who go the extra mile for their students, giving them time, attention, and guidance.” Her own inspiration came from a teacher whose subject she loved and who demonstrated incredible kindness and care towards her as a person. “This moment cemented for me that I wanted to become a teacher and the particular style that would underpin my own approach to my pupils. This interaction has stayed with me, and I always try to ensure that kindness and care continue to underpin my teaching and leadership.”

Walking into a classroom, Alex finds joy in seeing pupils fully engaged, their curiosity ignited. “I dread a silent

classroom. I want to see girls speaking up, sharing ideas, and having fun with their learning. It’s about creating a space where every pupil feels they have a voice and where they are excited to explore new ideas.”

Wilson’s commitment to education is deeply tied to her belief in the positive impact of all-girls schooling. “Allgirls environments provide a unique space where pupils can

truly find their voice, free from external pressures,” she says. “Combined with the expertise of passionate subject specialists, this creates classrooms where learning flourishes, and confidence grows.”

Alex Wilson joins Sheffield Girls’ at the start of Summer Term 2025 and will host a Senior School Online Open Evening on 18th March www. sheffieldhighschool.org.uk

1 Trashing? Try it out on a dark but cloudless time! (6,5)

5 Gets away with a strange case of ESP (7)

14 Gentle looking, having seen bread beforehand,

16 Cream to ebb away into ale, but can be hugged (11)

Who opposes a bit of a

target? (4)

Tiny bit of a preparation

have to take (4)

Spoil the force, and regretting it! (5)

Puritan to run out of bread (4)

It’s rare, somehow, at the back (4) DOWN

1 Hiatus reported in animal’s tiny feet (6,5)

4 Go sailing after saucier take on performance (4,1,6)

6 She sings high, but with apron so tied! (7)

8 Eastern regime emerging as a leaver (7)

2 Cut out of waxed paper (3)

3 Flabbergasted at the restriction of fuel (3)

7 Old, but quite an unusual shape (7)

14 It’s really bad to go up and lightly pat (3) 15 Budgerigar to take back a bit of nickname (3)

ACROSS

7 If ever there was home, this valley can be found there (7)

8 Little street worker, above the village (7)

9 Good for brakes, but not to be slipped! (5)

10 Cavern we spelled atrociously! (9)

11 Amount to a binomial sum? (3,2,2)

13 How the A57 went all slithery? (6)

16 Lean towards red alerts, perhaps, in r. Dove place? (4,9)

21 Hag has him bewitched near Shirland! (6)

23 Old faithful with heights here (7)

26 Let in the imps, the suckers! (7)

27 And 22 down. A village I once represented as a road (3)

28 Old length of cellophane (3)

29 Tube from the main nerve centre (5)

30 Loss one adjusts, but makes it slacker (7) DOWN

1 Beast’s not at all like little Lady Hardwick (4)

2 A shop’s to be re-sited between Calver and Bakewell (6)

Prize Crossword

3 Which sort could be near Glossop? (9)

4 Hall of manners to do a handout? (6)

5 Buff sprint takers, maybe? (6)

6 Add to group of copper lined artefacts (7)

7 Final listener, said to make beloved? (6)

8 Looks up and down and spots (4)

12 In an assumed name there’s personal coding (3)

14 Breakable piece of alternative ‘handle’ (3)

15 Lad blares out about village in 7 across (9)

17 Ad-men to lie about where our pigs came from (4,4)

18 French port to reveal hospital treatment (2,5)

19 Sea creature with pony tail? There’s one near Bolsover! (6)

20 My bases crumbling in a diplomatic site (7)

22 See 27 across (6)

24 Tenor quietly composing in S Derby school (6)

25 Rare kind of raise (4)

We will give a prize of £25 to a randomly-drawn correctly completed crossword. Cut out the completed puzzle and send by February 17th, 2025, to: Bannister Publications Limited, Office 2A Market Hall, Market Hall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 1AR. The solutions for the January 2025 crossword can be found on page 98 of this issue.

Tickled pink!

SOFT, LIGHT AND ROMANTIC –WHILE STAYING JUST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF SACCHARINE – PALE PINK HUES ARE THE SEASON’S STANDOUT, SAYS AMY NORBURY.

IT feels like we’ve finally turned a corner. After a, quite frankly, miserable winter, there appears to be a chink of brightness on the horizon. And the fashion world is leading the charge. So step away from your dark, dreary shades and embrace an altogether sweeter choice for spring. Soft, sugary tones are easily the biggest colour trend of the season, offering a palate cleanser to the deep hues that have dominated previous months. And you don’t have to be a Barbie girl to pull off the pretty-in-pink look – in fact, it’s simple to incorporate into your everyday looks. This season’s pinks offer a much more subtle vibe than the hot pink and fuschia iterations which were making fashion headlines a few short seasons ago. Think shades of tea rose, dusty and powder pinks, which were hugely popular with designers including Khaite, Simone Rocha and Ferragamo across the SS25 catwalks. This is

1. Et Vous pink floral dress, £26, Matalan. www.matalan.co.uk

2. Longline gilet, from a selection at Roman Originals. www. roman.co.uk

3. Belle bow sleeve midi dress, £130, Monsoon. www.monsoon.co.uk

4. Olivia weekend bag, £70,

Continued from 62

opt for pink accessories – a scarf here, a bag there.

Team your pink separates with whites and creams for casual cool, or pair with bold red for a clash made in fashion heaven. Feeling brave? Go matchy-matchy with a pink coord set, or mix and match your pink hues for a tonal ensemble.

Lean into the romantic vibes with a powder pink dress; Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic pink-and-white tutu ensemble may be nearly 30 years old but the style endures (and, in fact, that particular piece of fashion history sold last year for more than 10,000 times its original price.) Go full-on girly with a floaty silken number, or combat the sugar by opting for something with plenty of structure – a tailored pink midi dress is this season’s answer to corporate chic.

For a subtle nod to the trend, opt for those blush tones where the pigment is dialled right down to, and wear in place of your usual neutrals.

Hare today, gone tomorrow?

Changing colour: this mountain hare is slowly turning colour to white.

Peter Wrigglesworth writes about animals he loves to see on the Derbyshire moors, mountain hares.

DERBYSHIRE is unique in having the only population of mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in England, although a few may have crept into Yorkshire.

The original population was introduced to the Dark Peak, as a quarry for shooting. This took place from 1870 to 1882 and the mountain hares have remained ever since.

Mountain hares are one of the toughest animals we have in Derbyshire. Unlike rabbits, they do not make burrows but live on top of the moors, making a small scrape or hollow to lie in, away from the wind if possible. This means that they spend all their lives battling the grimmest of weather on

the Dark Peak and because they have tough lives, they only live for about four years.

They are, however, well adapted to living in harsh conditions, and find a hard winter tolerable due to their thick fur, which turns white in winter. They are smaller than brown hares and are related to the snowshoe hares of North America.

It is estimated that there are about 2,500 mountain hares in the Peak District but as they are still unprotected and are shot on grouse moors, the numbers fluctuate and it is difficult to calculate the size of the current population.

From my observations on the Dark Peak, the numbers are less than in previous years but

Listening out for predators, this mountain hare.

Keeping out of the wind!

this may be down to natural variables, such as the weather.

Global warming is a threat, as the mountain hares turn white for winter and this makes them conspicuous on the moors, which now rarely have lying snow. This makes them vulnerable to shooting and attack by predators, putting them at a disadvantage for several months, until they start to turn brown again in spring.

The shortening hours of daylight, as winter approaches, are now considered to be the trigger for the mountain hares to start turning their coats white, rather than falling temperatures.

They are truly wonderful animals, and need our help in any way that we can. Keeping dogs away at breeding time would be helpful. Removing fencing where it prevents hares moving across the moors, would be beneficial.

Breeding may take place between late January and September and the leverets

are born about 50 days later. One to four litters, of one to three young, are born a year.

In Scotland, they are now protected from shooting and surely England should follow suit and help to look after these beautiful animals.

When I have been out looking for mountain hares, I always wait until they have changed to their white or mixed white and brown coats as they are easier to see than when they are brown.

They tend to avoid people and are found on the quieter parts of the Dark Peak, often hunkering down in a peat gulley where they can get shelter from the wind and rain or snow. They like to catch what little sun is available and will mostly be found on south-facing slopes. If you want to photograph one, never take your eye off it as it will bolt the moment that you look away. It is also best to creep up on your belly, even if you get wet!

This mountain hare is nearly all-white.

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• Cleaner – no need for forklift, digger, or skip – less waste!

• Less expensive than traditional methods

• Cost effective – no need for expensive relocating of manholes or drains

• Straight forward installation. The Modular walls are bricked and mortared before they are delivered to site

• Unbeatable U-values – U-values of 0.22W/m2k and 0.18W/m2k

Durabase gives you:

• a bespoke steel base

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Durabase alleviates much of the hard work and most of the problems associated with the old-style conservatory and home extension base construction, but still provides a safe, strong and firm foundation.

Jane mixes glass, paint, a kiln and creativity to stunning effect!

Steve Brown meets a Great Longstone artist who creates stained glass

HOW many of us have gazed up at the beautiful stained glass windows both in our great cathedrals and little country churches and marvelled at the skills and artistry of those who were inspired and skilled enough to construct and install such wondrous works of art? Many of these will date from medieval times and represent skills which might be thought to be dying out in the modern age of new materials and designs, but this would be far from the truth.

Above: Jane busy on artwork for St Giles Church, Great Longstone – and the finished piece (left).

Artists such as Jane Littlefield, from Great Longstone, are not just keeping alive these traditional skills in glass but actively promoting their spread through the wonderful work they produce which can be found in galleries, homes and public places.

Jane is a native of Ascot in Berkshire where she, her sister, mother and father lived in her early years. Hers was an artistically-talented family and she recalls that she was usually

at her happiest when making something. On leaving school, she went to art college in nearby Farnham before enrolling at the Ravenbourne College of Art in Bromley for a furniture design course. Notable alumni at the same college have been the fashion designers Bruce Oldfield and Stella McCartney and the music icon David Bowie!

However, she quickly changed her course to Fine Arts as the design course didn’t fit with where she wanted to go within the artistic world. As it turned out, she and her fellow students were the last to be taught Fine Arts at Ravensbourne and it was one of her now redundant former tutors who provided her with a job on leaving the college in a start-up business in London which designed, printed and sold fashionable T-shirts, so trendy of the time.

It was while working and living in London that she met one of her closest friends-to-be, who originally hailed from Thirsk in North Yorkshire, and with her she then spent much of her free time walking and rock climbing in the Lake District and on the Yorkshire moors amongst other wild places. Perhaps it was wanting to be nearer the great outdoors that she loved that Jane then, in her own words, “just moved” to a little terraced house in Darlington, County Durham, giving up the T-shirts in London, with no idea what she might do in her new home town!

She took on several jobs there, such as delivering bread and working in a snooker club, before finally settling into a role for a charity involved in setting up volunteering experiences which would hopefully lead to employment for individuals seeking work. She was producing much of their inhouse publicity material and getting involved with graphic design.

The north east was where Jane then met her husband-to-be, Roger, who was working in IT, and together they moved to Newcastle to be closer to his work at the time; she worked there for the NHS in graphic design and patient information.

Roger’s work took him all over the country so, both loving the outdoors, they eventually decided to settle in the Peak District – in 2000 in Great Longstone – which allowed Roger to reach his work more easily and both now would have good access, with their two young daughters, to beautiful countryside.

Jane’s artistic life started to gain further shape in 2002 when she decided to take

on a further education course at Bakewell in the design of stained glass. She had always taken an interest in glass design and its uses as an art form. A further course in stained glass painting followed in 2004 in Ely, then she trained with various master craftsmen, including three periods at North Lands, near Wick, in the far north of Scotland. North Lands was a unique studio and gallery focusing on contemporary glass and design, on training new artists in glass and had a national importance in developing glasswork. Through these experiences and training –and the use of age-old techniques – Jane has developed her very own style of working, which is deeply influenced by medieval

Above: Jane’s door commission at a home in Tideswell.

Left: Jane recently created this roundel.

stained glass, its history and imagery, as well as the landscape of the Peak District.

The technique of painting coloured glass and fixing it into a frame or shape is one which hasn’t changed for centuries. Lead is still used as the frame into which pieces of coloured glass are inserted as it remains the only material with enough strength and sufficient pliability to do this, despite becoming brittle over time. Working with such a material means that Jane has to take precautions, such as always working with protective gloves on and having her body lead levels tested regularly.

When the pieces of coloured glass have been inserted into the lead frame, Jane will then solder the joints to create the rigidity needed to keep the piece together. The glass itself is supplied to Jane from other specialists as it has to be of sufficient

quality to withstand being fired and refired in the kiln as paint colours are added; it may be clear glass for painting or coloured glass depending on what she is making.

The vitreous paint she uses is, again, from exclusive sources as it is made of oxides, lead and ground glass, for it is the layering of the paints and the firing and refiring of these in the kiln that create the desired effects in her work, sometimes over as much as five firings. Jane bought a small kiln when she first started up her glass painting but has recently taken delivery of a larger model which enables her to fire many more pieces at once or any larger commissions which she has taken on. Given current energy prices, this might seem like a drain on finances, but the new kiln is sufficiently well insulated that a firing can prove to be surprisingly fuel-efficient.

Typically, before making one of her panels, Jane will do a full-scale drawing – called a cartoon – and then cut the coloured glass to size before painting it and then firing it.

She has recently started producing works using the ancient technique of “Verre Eglomise”, a French term referring to the process of applying both a design and gilding onto the rear face of glass to produce a mirror finish. In the gilding process, the silver, gold or other metal leaf is fixed using a gelatin adhesive which results in a mirror-like, reflective finish. The design is applied by various techniques, often by reverse painting prior

to gilding, or by engraving the design into the gilded layer, or even into the glass.

The little decorative pieces and adornments that Jane produces from this process are now reflecting the small panels of glass with designs which were applied to reliquaries and altars in medieval Italy, where the technique was first widely used. As the reflective panels produced from this technique don’t require light to shine through them to highlight their beauty, they can be hung on gallery walls or anywhere at home as an alternative to conventional art on paper or canvas.

When Jane started working in glass, she had produced some little glass figures which one of her daughters suggested she put on Instagram to show others and potentially achieve sales. These sold very quickly, one even going to New York, so she started making more pieces for sale via Instagram and her customer base grew.

The list of galleries which now have her works for sale is extensive, both in the UK and the USA, and reflects the specific audience targeting power of social media in a specialism such as decorative glass painting. Instagram is how Jane now largely sells her pieces, reflecting a folk art trend whereby the old ways of working and creating things are revered and celebrated rather than put to one side.

She is now producing her popular smaller door panels and pieces such as mobiles rather than larger items (lots of smaller pieces fit better in a large

kiln and take less time to produce!), but commissions for larger items are still undertaken such as the beautiful backlit light box in the church at Great Longstone, which cleverly illustrates the religious symbols on the roof bosses high above. She is now working on a collaboration with a local glass blower to produce even more imaginative pieces with difficult techniques.

Jane is a member now of The British Society of Master Glass Painters, the Contemporary Glass Society, the Society of Designer Craftsmen and has had a piece chosen for exhibition at the British Glass Biennale in Stourbridge, the foremost juried exhibition of excellence in contemporary glass by artists, designers and craftspeople working in the UK and British artists working abroad.

It is the flagship exhibition within the International Festival of Glass and the emphasis is on new work demonstrating the highest level of excellence in design, creative imagination and technical skill. It’s high praise, indeed, for Jane’s work and a tribute to the skills and techniques that she has taken on since those first tentative steps on an adult education course!

Editor’s Note: More on Jane, her glass art for sale and her courses in glass painting can be found at www. Janelittlefieldglass.com and @jane. littlefield.glass on Instagram.

Below: Another Jane Littlefield creation.

The Peacock at Owler Bar – lets its feathers shine!

NESTLED on the edge of the Peak District, The Peacock at Owler Bar stands proud, offering panoramic views of Derbyshire’s breathtaking countryside. With its rich history dating back to the early 1800s, when it was originally built as a coach house by the Duke of Rutland, this iconic venue has long been a favourite haunt for ramblers, families, and food lovers alike.

Now, under the stewardship of Longbow Venues, The Peacock has been given new life, joining a distinguished portfolio that includes The Maynard, The George, and the recently revitalised Ashford Arms. True to Longbow’s ethos, the transformation preserves the building’s historic charm while delivering a premium dining experience of warmth, hospitality, and exceptional cuisine.

The sense of history and comfort was palpable from the moment we stepped inside. The inviting aroma of home-cooked food mingled with the crackle of the log burner, immediately setting the tone for a memorable dining experience. Assistant Manager Brad welcomed us warmly, guiding us to a table in the newly-refurbished dining area. With its tall, leaded windows, oak floors, and rustic beams, the space feels timeless, effortlessly blending heritage and elegance.

The drinks menu offered tempting options, from local ales and lagers to

an extensive wine list curated with care. My dining companion and I opted for a pint of ‘Longbow,’ a smooth and irresistibly drinkable session IPA brewed by Bakewell’s Thornbridge Brewery.

As we perused the menu, curated by Executive Chef Adrian Gagea and brought to life by Head Chef Alina Gagea, it became clear that this was no ordinary pub fare. The menu strikes a delectable balance between comforting classics and more adventurous culinary creations, all crafted with passion and precision. Locally sourced ingredients take centre stage, with meat from Over Haddon, fish from Buxton, and fresh produce from Chesterfield. This commitment to local suppliers imbues every dish with a sense of place and seasonality.

For starters, I chose the glazed pork belly, while my friend opted for the wild mushroom and truffle arancini. The pork belly was a triumph of flavour and texture— sweet, tender, and utterly comforting on a brisk January afternoon. With its crispy shell and creamy, truffle-infused rice, the arancini was equally delightful,

complemented by earthy vegetable crisps that added depth and texture. Both dishes were beautifully presented and set the bar high for future courses.

Our main courses did not disappoint. I ventured into new territory with the slow-cooked ossobuco, paired with truffled potato purée, sautéed kale, and bourguignon sauce. The meat was exquisitely tender, easily falling off the bone, while the truffled potato offered a luxurious, earthy counterpoint. My companion chose the confit duck leg, accompanied by a duck bon bon, celeriac purée, red cabbage, and butternut squash bubble and squeak. The dish was a masterclass in balance, with the rich, juicy duck offset by the tart sweetness of a blueberry jus.

Both mains were generous in portion, leaving no need for a detour via the chip shop on the way home! The care and passion in the preparation were evident, with every element harmoniously composed and flawlessly executed.

Dessert provided the perfect finale to our meal. The chocolate brownie

was decadently soft and indulgent, its richness countered by the sharpness of orange sorbet and the warmth of banana mousse. The Bakewell tart, a nod to local tradition, was warm, moist, and nostalgic, paired with silky crème anglaise and vibrant raspberry ice cream. Both desserts showcased the kitchen’s ability to elevate comfort food into something truly special.

Throughout our visit, the service was exemplary. From the knowledgeable

Deputy Manager Ella to the attentive server Ruby, every staff member exuded professionalism and genuine pride in their work. It’s clear that the team at The Peacock shares a collective commitment to delivering an outstanding dining experience—an ethos that extends from the kitchen to the front-of-house.

As we reluctantly prepared to leave, bellies full and spirits lifted, we couldn’t help but reflect on the value for money

offered here. Considering the quality of the food, the historic charm of the venue, and the attentive service, The Peacock at Owler Bar is a true gem in the Longbow crown.

With 30% off starters, mains, and desserts throughout February (Monday to Friday, 12 pm-9 pm), there’s never been a better time to visit. Whether you’re seeking comfort after a long walk or a culinary adventure to savour, The Peacock offers something for everyone. Hand on heart, we’ll be back.

For menus and more details, visit their website or scan the QR code below.

The Peacock at Owler Bar Baslow Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S17 3BQ t: 0114 3037074 e: enjoymore@peacockowlerbar.com www.peacockowlerbar.com

HOW TASTY IS A PASTY?

IT’S Cornish Pasty Week at the end of this month (February 27 – March 4) –and the history of the pasty is simply fascinating, writes Barrie Farnsworth.

THE pasty has been a documented part of the British diet since the 13th Century, at this time being devoured by the upper classes and royalty. The fillings were varied and rich: venison, beef, lamb and seafood like eels, flavoured with rich gravies and fruits.

It wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that the pasty was adopted by miners and farm workers in Cornwall as a means for providing themselves with easy, tasty and sustaining meals while they worked.

The wives of Cornish tin miners would prepare these all-in-one meals to provide sustenance for their spouses during their gruelling days down the mines, working at such depths it wasn’t possible for them to surface at lunchtime.

A typical pasty is simply a filling of choice sealed within a circle of pastry, one edge crimped into a thick crust, which served as a means of holding the pasty with dirty hands without contaminating the meal. Arsenic commonly accompanies tin within the ore that they were mining so, to avoid arsenic poisoning, it was an essential part of the pasty.

The traditional recipe for the pasty filling is beef with potato, onion and swede,

which when cooked together forms a rich gravy, all sealed in its own packet!

As meat was much more expensive in the 17th and 18th centuries, its presence was scarce and so pasties traditionally contained much more vegetable than today. The presence of carrot in a pasty, although common now, was originally the mark of an inferior pasty.

However, there is agreement that the meat and vegetables should not be cooked before they are sealed within the pastry. It is this that makes the Cornish pasty different from other similar foods.

If they were cooked in the mornings, the pastry could keep the fillings warm for 8-10 hours and, when held close to the body, keep the miners warm too.

It was also common for the pasties to provide not only a hearty, savoury main course lunch, but also a sweet or fruity dessert course. The savoury filling would be cooked at one end of the crescent and the sweet course at the other end. Hopefully these ends would be marked on the outside too!

The authentic Cornish Pasty

THE Cornish Pasty Association –which got the pasty protected status so that a Cornish Pasty could only be made in Cornwall – has no doubt that this is an authentic recipe, and makes six good-sized Cornish pasties.

INGREDIENTS

FOR SHORTCRUST PASTRY

500 g strong bread flour (it is important to use a stronger flour than normal as you need the extra strength in the gluten to produce strong pliable pastry)

120g lard or white shortening

125g Cornish butter

1tsp salt

175ml cold water

FOR THE FILLING

450g good quality beef skirt, cut into cubes

450g potato, diced

250g swede, diced

200g onion, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Beaten egg or milk to glaze

METHOD

1.Rub the two types of fat lightly into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Add water, bring the mixture together and knead until the pastry becomes elastic. This will take longer than normal pastry but it gives the pastry the strength that is needed to hold the filling and retain a good shape. This can also be done in a food mixer.

3. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 3 hours in the fridge. This is a very important stage as it is almost impossible to roll and shape the pastry when fresh.

4. Roll out the pastry and cut into circles approx. 20cm diameter. A side plate is an ideal size to use as a guide.

5. Layer the vegetables and meat on top of the pastry, adding plenty of seasoning.

6. Bring the pastry around and crimp the edges together (see our guide to crimping).

7. Glaze with beaten egg or an egg and milk mixture.

8. Bake at 165 degrees C (fan oven) for about 50 – 55 minutes until golden.

HOW TO CRIMP

Crimping is one of the secrets to a true Cornish pasty. A good hand crimp is usually a sign of a good handmade pasty. To crimp a Cornish pasty;

1. Lightly brush the edge of the pastry with water

2. Fold the other half of pastry over the filling and squeeze the half circle edges firmly together

3.Push down on the edge of the pasty and using your index finger and thumb twist the edge of the pastry over to form a crimp.

4. Repeat this process along the edge of the pasty.

5. When you’ve crimped along the edge, tuck the end corners underneath.

PUBLISHING YOUR FIRST BOOK: A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH FOR 2025

MANY include becoming an author on their bucket lists, but their hopes get squashed by how difficult it seems. Researching, telling a story, and conveying ideas seem like a challenge in its own right. But, once the book is written, how and where do you find a publisher?

Self-publishing can be hugely rewarding. The author retains ultimate control of every step of the publishing process in a way that couldn’t be achieved with a traditional publisher. Choosing a trusted and experienced publishing house presents the perfect opportunity to combine autonomy as an author with publisher expertise. North Derbyshire-based, Bannister Publications, is a highly regarded regional publishing institution. There are many reasons why they’ve become the publishing partner of choice for local authors: Local network: 32-year experience of publishing has enabled strong and longstanding local connections to be built. Reputation: as the publishers of Derbyshire’s largest circulation

lifestyle magazine Reflections, Bannister Publications offers a well-established platform that can help to promote the book.

Breadth of experience: a comprehensive portfolio of writers, authors, photographers, artists, and others, all with varying levels of experience, have been supported in getting their work published in a professional manner, in a variety of finished book forms.

Personal service: displaying all the hallmarks of a highly reputable familyrun business, Bannister Publications prides itself on offering a friendly and attentive service. From initial discussions to the final printing of the book, Robert Bannister guides authors along their journey every step of the way.

Quality: the editing and design services are unrivalled locally, and the printers, who are used, serve the UK’s major publishing houses.

Value for money: Runs of small books at comparatively low prices are easily attainable – as are longer-run, bigger and more intricate publications.

The first step to publishing a book starts here…

Bannister Publications Limited Office 2A Market Hall, Market Pl, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. S40 1AR hello@bannisterpublications.com T: 01246 550488

OLDEST SCHOOLS

– and there’s plenty of them still going…

Barrie Farnsworth looks at old schools in Derbyshire, including the history of Lady Manners School, Bakewell.

WHAT is the oldest school in Derbyshire?

It is Derby School – which closed in 1989 – as it was founded in 1160, making it one of the oldest English public schools. It was a grammar school for boys for over eight centuries, before becoming comprehensive in 1972. Then, several schools were created in Derbyshire in the Tudor period of history. Another public school, Repton School, was founded in 1557. A Free Grammar School was founded in Duffield in 1565. It was thought to be founded by Dr William Gilbert, who became the physician to Queen Elizabeth I. There is now a William Gilbert Endowed CofE Primary School in Duffield. Netherthorpe School in Staveley can trace its origins back to 1572, when four local families – the Sitwells, the

De Rodes, the Cavendish and the Frechville – decided to establish a school to serve the children of Staveley.

It was followed in 1576 with the founding of a Free Grammar School in Wirksworth by Anthony Gell of Hopton Hall. It moved to its present site in 1908 and The Anthony Gell School is now an 11-18 mixed comprehensive.

The Wirksworth school just beats Henry Fanshawe School in Dronfield, which was founded in 1578 by the will of Henry Fanshawe. Next in line is Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Ashbourne, named after the long-reigning Tudor monarch, which began life in 1585 and is now as a comprehensive.

Next was Chesterfield Grammar School, which started life in 1618, and which was the subject of a Roy Smith article in Reflections in 2007.

It is followed by Lady Manners School in Bakewell, which was founded on

May 20, 1636 – in the reign of Charles I – by Grace, Lady Manners, who lived at Haddon Hall. The schoolmaster would “be appointed by the Lords of the Manor of Haddon, being the heires of the said Grace, Ladie Manners”. The deed also stipulated that the schoolmaster was to remain unmarried, and “if the said Schoolemaister shall at any time marry, or shall live disorderly or scandalously, then the said Schoolemaister shall have noe benefitt by the said annuitie or rente charge, but shall be displaced from the Schoole”. Additional to his annuity, the schoolmaster was permitted to take a registration fee of a shilling for each new boy.

The original school day ran from 7-11am and 1-5pm, “except Sundays and holidays”. It was also known as Bakewell Grammar School, and was on King Street. It began as a boys’ school, but changed in 1896 to admit girls as well.

The Charity Commissioners decided that

The new Lady Manners Grammar School backed onto Bath Gardens and was opened in September 1896. The new school admitted girls as well as boys.

a new building could be built “to be used as a grammar school by day and as a centre for technical classes in the evenings”. The new school backed onto Bath Gardens and was opened in September 1896. The school now admitted girls as well as boys – it was a pre-condition of the County Council’s grant of £600 towards the building costs.

The new school opened with fifty pupils on roll, all between the ages of eight and eighteen. Subjects taught were Religious Knowledge, English, Classics, Mathematics, Science, French and Drawing. Boys also did Woodwork and girls did

Domestic Science. The Bakewell Show Ground was used for games. Fees were £2 per head, but this meant the school operated at a loss and so the County Council agreed to fund 12 scholarships.

In 1900 two boarding houses were set up, at Dagnall for boys, and in The Avenue for girls, and in 1909 the Old Bath House (now Haig House) was bought as extra premises for fifth and sixth form, and staff.

In 1919, four acres of land who bought in Shutts Lane for use as a playing field. This remains part of the school playing field today.

Above: This Henry Fanshawe School building opened overlooking Chesterfield Road, Dronfield, in 1866. The original school, founded in 1578, was on Fanshawe Bank, off Church Street.

The Foundation Stone of new school buildings, on the present school site in Shutts Lane, was laid by the Duke of Rutland on May 20, 1936, on the 300th anniversary of the founding of the school. The new buildings were opened on February 24, 1938.

During World War Two, Lady Manners School shared their building with North Manchester High School for Boys, who had been evacuated. On a two-week rotation, Lady Manners pupils went to school in the morning (including Saturday), and Manchester Grammar pupils in the afternoon.

In 1972, Lady Manners Grammar School became a comprehensive.

Famous old boys and girls of Lady Manners include the late Alison Uttley, writer of over 100 books; the late Barry Askew, editor of several provincial newspapers and the News of the World; Sir Maurice Oldfield, head of MI6 from 1973-78; and Annie Last, the gold medallist in mountain biking at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

I am afraid, as an old boy, that Ernest Bailey Grammar School in Matlock opened much later – as a mixed grammar in September 1924 – in premises which had formerly been Wyvern Hydropathic Establishment on New Street. But it did not make its centenary, as the school closed in 1982 on the reorganisation of secondary education in Matlock. Editor’s note: Find out more about Lady Manners School at its website: ladymanners.derbyshire.sch.uk

The oldest part of Netherthorpe School, Staveley.

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Experience unspoiled Andalucía, home of Flamenco and perhaps the most traditionally Spanish of regions. 6 nights / 7 days from £1299pp. (Solo offer)

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CALL AND DISCUSS YOUR TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS WITH OUR FRIENDLY AND EXPERT TEAM ON: 01246 220020 or 01246 823763

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When Storm Babet flooded Chesterfield book…

THERE’S a book about when Storm Babet hit Chesterfield on Friday, October 20, 2023 – and it’s fascinating, writes Barrie Farnsworth.

‘Through Water & Ruin’ is by Joe Curtis, who worked at packaging firm Sonoco and rented a flat at a former foundry on Camlough Walk, at the bottom of Hady Hill.

Robinson’s shut early that day as news came in about flooding and, with two colleagues, he set out to walk home – and ran into flooded roads – they finished up going through water on Brimington Road and across Tapton Golf Course.

It was inevitable that his ground-floor flat was flooded – and he stayed the night with a work colleague at Calow before spending a week at the Casa Hotel.

All the way ‘home’ he took pictures which sum up that terrible day and which are liberally used in the book.

The subtitle of the book sums it up: ‘Surviving the Commute & Aftermath of Storm Babet’, and I thoroughly recommend it. ‘Through Water & Ruin’ is available at £19.99 from Waterstones and Amazon.

Chance to find out about foster care

IN September last year, Becky and Tim Priest (foster carers) hosted a foster information morning at Deja Vu, Brampton. This was such a success that they are hosting another on Sunday, March 23 (9am-12noon) at Armistead’s, Chesterfield, S42 7TP Becky and Tim have been fostering for five years.

They want potential foster carers at Armistead’s to ask any questions. There will be current foster carers there and social workers to speak to.

Fostering is such a rewarding thing to do, giving a child a safe home and stability is crucial to them thriving in life.  Derbyshire is so short of foster carers. Fostering isn’t such a scary thing and the support that foster carers receive from their agency is unbeatable.

A generous allowance is given to all foster carers to allow them to support and provide for the children in their care. All you need is to be over 21, have a spare bedroom and the right to work in the UK. If you’d like more information, feel free

to pop into Armistead’s on March 23 for a free cuppa and cake and a chat, or if you’d prefer, contact Becky on 07970 814425.

Peak Park authority making redundancies…

THE Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) is beginning consultation with a number of staff over restructure proposals that are being driven by a need to cut costs.

The PDNPA is facing ongoing financial pressures due to a fixed government grant that does not take into account inflation and additional pressures such as the recent increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions, the rise in the minimum wage, the ending of the government’s rate relief scheme, and some external costs rising by as much as 150 per cent.

Overall, the PDNPA has faced a realterms cut of around 50 per cent over the last ten years. The continual squeeze on funding has happened at the same time as those using the National Park have increased and expectations about what the National Park should be delivering for nature, climate and wellbeing are rising.

It is only two years since the PDNPA last had to undertake a restructure programme. However, since the last round of changes, the authority has faced unprecedented financial pressures whilst the government grant remains flat.

The current round of proposed changes includes making efficiencies within customer services and communications and having to reduce the size and scope of cherished work in community engagement, education and wellbeing. With the ongoing support of a philanthropic donor, some changes are also being proposed for the PDNPA visitor and cycle hire centres to ensure their long-term viability.

Phil Mulligan, the authority’s chief executive, said: “None of us want to make these decisions but they cannot be avoided unless there is significantly better news from government on our funding”. The PDNPA has confirmed the possibility of a number of redundancies, which it is seeking to mitigate through considering voluntary redundancies across the organisation. It is expected that the restructure will be concluded ahead of PDNPA members fixing next year’s budget on March 21.

Top right: The Bridge Inn, at the bottom of Hady Hill, Chesterfield, on the afternoon of October 20, A car is nearly submerged in ‘the lake’, says Curtis in the book.

Far right: Tapton Terrace, taken by Curtis from Brimington Road. One of the residents, 83-yearold Maureen Gilbert, died in her flooded home.

A RIGHT ROYAL TREAT…

THE Sèvres cup and saucer we have pictured, which came from a home near Bakewell, were made in 1781, more than 10 years before Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette went to the guillotine. The Sèvres factory made porcelain for the French royal family and this example certainly has a regal look. It was bid to £15,600 (including buyer’s premium) and it was considered after the auction to have been decorated at a later date.

The saucer, which is titled Etudes, is decorated with the allegory of painting and the cup features music. Painted in the manner of Nicholas Charles Dodin (1734-1803), who was originally a military engineer but he started work at Sèvres in 1754 and in time he was routinely called on to decorate the pieces destined for the most important collectors of the day.

The scenes of children, one practising sketching and three others playing musical instruments, are taken from a set of four allegories that were originally created as over-door panels for Madame de Pompadour’s chateau at Bellevue. Interestingly, Dodin

originally painted fashionable pastoral scenes after artists such as Boucher and Fragonard and later, adapting to the changing times, painted revolutionary allegories and symbols.

The gilding was possibly done by Etienne Henri Le Guay and the jewelling – a feature of Sèvres porcelain – by Philippe Parpette. Jewelling is a complex technique using stamped gold foils set with coloured enamels to imitate pearls and jewels giving a sumptuous effect and used at Sèvres for only five years between 1780-85.

The Vincennes – later Sèvres – factory was established in 1740, thanks to the support of Louis XV’s Polish-born wife, Queen Marie Leszczyńska, who was noted as an avid porcelain collector in her early years as a royal. Louis XV’s mistress Madame de Pompadour then followed and became a patron. By 1756, the manufactory was moved to a building in Sèvres, built at the initiative of Madame de Pompadour, near her chateau de Bellevue.

The King bought the factory in 1759, although Madame de Pompadour was allowed effective free rein to oversee it.

By Vivienne Milburn FRICS Independent

Antiques Auctioneer & Valuer

A period of superb quality in both design and production followed, creating much of the enduring reputation of French porcelain. The lighthearted rococo style prevalent at the time was given a more serious air, often by restricting it to the painting, rather than the porcelain shape.

Perhaps you also have antiques and collectables that might be valuable? If so, it is worth getting the advice of an Independent Antiques Valuer to assess them. For further information please contact Vivienne on 07870 238788, or go to www.viviennemilburn. co.uk or email vivienne@ viviennemilburn.co.uk

Above: The marks on the saucer.

Left: The 18th Century Sèvres porcelain cabinet cup and saucer, painted with child musicians and an artist. From a fine house near Bakewell, it was bid to £15,600 in the recent specialist auction.

An impressive sight… MAM Tor looks so impressive when covered with snow on its eastern, rockfall slopes – and it’s been covered a few times in January. The picture is by reader Russ Teale, of Newbold.

Chesterfield certainly ‘suited’ Montague Burton!

The Russian who founded the world’s biggest business of its type started his firm in Chesterfield, as Barrie Farnsworth reports.

THE founder of the biggest bespoke tailoring business the world has ever seen – Montague Maurice Burton – opened his first shop in Chesterfield.

According to the 1901 census, he was living in Cheetham Hill, Manchester… but must have moved to live at No. 1, Saltergate shortly afterwards. He was originally from was Kosno province, now part of Lithuania, then part of Russia – and was called Meshe David Osinsky –and was one of many Jews who fled, fearing for their lives.

When he first arrived in England at the age of 15, it is thought that he was a peddler, going door to door to try and sell products. And he is only 18, in 1904, when he borrows

£100 from a relative to open his first shop, called the CrossTailoring Company, at 20, Holywell Cross, Chesterfield. His first purchase of

ready-made suits – presumably to sell in the shop – is recorded on June 8, 1905, in the sales ledger of Zimmerman Bros, wholesale clothiers of Leeds.

A couple of years later, he had shops in Mansfield and Sheffield as well, offering both ready-to-wear and bespoke suits.

He also established himself in the local Jewish community, and married Sophia Marks in Worksop in 1909, and promptly changed the name of the company from M. Burton to Burton & Burton, and their first house as a married couple was in Sheffield.

By the outbreak of World War One in 1914, the company had 14 shops, with its headquarters in Sheffield and a manufacturing factory in Leeds. Burton was excused military service

during the Great War and, in 1916, won a lucrative contract to manufacture uniforms.

One year later, Burton & Burton was transformed into a limited liability company called Montague Burton, The Tailor of Taste Ltd. The man himself now assumed the name Montague Maurice Burton. By 1919 he had 36 shops, of which many (including Coventry, Dudley, Swansea and Wandsworth) had opened in the course of the war. Eight branches were in Ireland.

In 1918, the growing Burton family – one daughter and three sons –  moved to Harrogate, where they bought an imposing house in Kent Road, at the posh end of town.

In 1921, Montague begins to develop the Hudson Road factory in Leeds, which gradually

‘The tailor of Taste’ – Montague Burton.

Above: A portrait of Montague Burton, formerly Meshe David Osinsky.

becomes the biggest clothing factory in the world, employing 10,000 on the site and producing over 30,000 suits a week. It had the world’s largest canteen – holding 8,000 workers at a single sitting. It is by then the biggest employer in the city.

By 1930, his company had 333 shops across the UK. Burton declined the offer to be Lord Mayor of Leeds in 1930 but was knighted in 1931 for ‘services to industrial relations’.

“We are justly proud in having made a considerable contribution towards making Britain the best-dressed country in the world,” Burton wrote in 1933, adding “the caste of dress which used to separate class from class can be said to have disappeared in my lifetime.”

The company continued to grow – it made a quarter of the

Above: Workers at Burton’s Leeds factory, which became the biggest clothing factory in the word, employing 10,000 people.

Below inset: When Montagu Burton had only two shops around 1906 –Chesterfield and Mansfield.

Bottom: Holywell Street, Chesterfield, in the tram era around 1906. Burton had a small shop at the end of this street. Courtesy of Tupton History Society.

so the firm could claim to be clothing about a fifth of the British population!

Burton Menswear was among Britain’s six biggest companies. No other business in the world had a bigger chain of textile shops – Burton’s had liked to house above his shops,

‘The Full Monty’...

WHEN World War

Two was over, Burton’s was one of the suppliers of clothing to the British Government for demobilising servicemen, comprising a doublebreasted suit or a singlebreasted jacket with flannel trousers, hat, two shirts, tie, underwear and a raincoat. It has been speculated that this is the origin of the phrase “the full monty”.

When they were demobilised, men were given a special allocation of clothing coupons with which to buy any extra items they might need, a special cigarette

ration, and a one-way rail warrant. Men could keep their service uniform and many left the distribution centres in uniform with a suitcase containing their demob clothes.

Clothes rationing meant that there was plenty of demand for the suits and the other items on the black market. Spivs (criminals dealing in illicit goods) lurked outside distribution centres and offered men £10 for each set of clothes, which some accepted.

One-third of demobilisation clothing was made by Burton’s in the UK.

FROM COACHING INN TO BUILDING SOCIETY BRANCH…

THE picture opposite is taken from a Midland Railway guide to Chesterfield in 1899 – but the property pictured on Low Pavement dates from the 16th century. It was originally known as the Falcon Inn, which was a coaching inn.

Later it became Everest’s Falcon Restaurant and Commercial Hotel; and then Boden’s Falcon Restaurant, which many local people said served the best fish and chips in Chesterfield, and then a

Left: It was the Falcon Inn, but now it’s a building society branch: no longer Barnsley, but became the Yorkshire BS in 2008. Courtesy of Chesterfield Borough Council.

Top right: The Peacock Inn, on Low Pavement, Chesterfield; now a coffee shop: one of only three true timber-framed buildings in Chesterfleld. Courtesy of Chesterfield Borough Council.

ALL HAPPENING AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY…

BOUNDARIES of the Borough of Chesterfield extended to include New Brampton and parts of Hasland, Newbold and Walton in 1892.

In 1893, Queen’s Park was fully opened in Chesterfield; and in the same year, a cable tramway was opened in Matlock from Crown Square up Bank Road.

At Smedley’s Hydro in Matlock – now the County Hall – new baths were opened by the Duke of Devonshire in 1894.

In 1896, the new church of St Bartholomew at Old Whittington was dedicated; replacing the old

church which was destroyed by fire a year earlier.

In November 1897, the tramways were taken over by Chesterfield Corporation; and fares reduced to one old penny ‘all the way’ from town to Brampton or Whittington Moor.

In 1898, a Norman font was discovered in the vicarage garden and was reinstated into the Crooked Spire church. In the same year, the Drill Hall was opened in Ashgate Road, Chesterfield – later to become the Goldwell Rooms.

building society branch. It is a Grade II-listed building.

In the image opposite, the entrance to Falcon Yard is behind the first of the three columns. On the extreme left is the Commercial Hotel.

On the Chesterfield Borough Council website, it states that there are only three genuine timber-framed buildings in Chesterfield. The oldest is the former Peacock Inn on Low Pavement, built around 1500. The second is the Royal Oak pub in the Shambles, part of which was built in the 16th century.

The third is a former coaching inn, the Falcon, on the corner of South Street and Low Pavement.

Above: The new Drill Hall on Ashgate Road, Chesterfield, was started to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and opened a year later.

at these places… winter walk Enjoy a

FROM ancient woodland walks to moorland paths and accessible trails, the National Trust has revealed its top winter walking trails to enjoy in Derbyshire. Blow away the cobwebs on a stroll along parkland paths and stretch your legs as you meander through historic gardens covered in sparkling frost. Winter landscapes reveal the hidden delights of nature. Look for pawprints on muddy and

frosty paths, listen for crisp notes of bird song, and spot woodland residents foraging in the silhouettes of bare trees and hedgerows.

A winter walk at a National Trust place isn’t complete until you’ve visited the tearoom to warm up with a hot drink and sweet treat or thawed out with a delicious bowl of soup too. Grab your walking boots and wellies and enjoy the delights of the outdoors this season with these top National Trust’s winter walks near you:

Hardwick Estate:

The estate surrounding the magnificent hall covers around 2,500 acres of parkland and includes a variety of habitats from woodland and wetland to farmland. Miles of walking routes explore the parkland, with woodland, ponds and far-reaching countryside views to enjoy. For those looking for a short stroll, the one-mile gentle walk is perfect, and for those looking to explore further, the six-mile wider estate walk takes in the further reaches of the parkland. Dogs on leads are welcome in the parkland and stableyard. Mobility scooters and wheelchairs are available for loan.

Longshaw, Burbage and the Eastern Moors:

A countryside haven, Longshaw is a gateway to the Peak District and is home to ancient woods, parkland and heather moorland. Walking at Longshaw can be a stroll to the pond, an easy-to-follow waymarked walk or a serious hike. Stop at the Welcome Building when you visit for advice on routes or to pick up a map. Seasonal trails and spotter sheets for families will also be available.

After your walk, warm up in the Longshaw café, and enjoy spectacular moorland

Hardwick Hall in the winter.

Picture by Robert Morris, courtesy of the National Trust.

Kedleston Hall & Estate:

views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Keeping your dog on a lead in the Peak District ensures that wildlife, livestock and other visitors are safe.

Step out into 800 acres of scenic parkland, with miles of walking trails to explore at Kedleston. Crisp, cold days and early sunsets – the winter landscape can be an inspiring place to step out into. Embark on the Lakeside Walk, enjoying far-reaching countryside views, discover

the Fishing Pavilion and Robert Adam bridge and spot a whole host of waterfowl by the lake edge, including geese, swans, oyster catchers, herons and coots.

Dogs on leads are welcome in the parkland and gardens and in the restaurant.

Calke Abbey:

As well as a grand Baroque un-stately home with its peeling wallpaper and seemingly abandoned rooms, Calke Abbey has secret walled gardens and parkland, much of which is a National Nature Reserve.

The park is a rich and varied landscape of grassland, ponds and wood pasture – one of the rarest habitats in Europe.

The Tramway Trail is an accessible figureof-eight route which follows the old horse-drawn tramway that linked Ticknall to Ashby, and it’s suitable for cyclists, walkers, wheelchairs and pushchairs. Wheelchairs are available to borrow.

Dogs are free to roam many areas of the parkland under close control, except in areas where there is livestock. They’re also welcome to enjoy the gardens, stableyards, restaurant, café, shop, and second-hand bookshop, provided they’re on a short lead.

Foremark & Staunton Harold:

Don the wellies for a wintry walk around Foremark and take in the calm views over the reservoir on a crisp winter’s day. At Staunton Harold, you can stretch your legs whatever the weather, but you’ll need walking boots or wellies for some of the paths which can get very muddy at this time of year. Head over to Dimminsdale for a stroll through the nature reserve. If it’s cold enough, you may even see the pond starting to freeze over.

Dogs are welcome. Please keep on a short lead around visitor facilities, multi-use trails and livestock.

Above: Looking down on the Derwent Valley and Hathersage from the edge of the Longshaw Estate near Surprise View. Picture by Annapurna Mellor, courtesy of the National Trust.

Left: Enjoy winter walks at Calke Abbey. Picture by Susan Guy, courtesy of the National Trust.

Top Right: Enjoy a winter walk in the Peak District. Picture by Annapurna Mellor, courtesy of the National Trust.

Right: Discover dog-friendly winter walks at a National Trust place near you. Picture by Annapurna Mellor, courtesy of the National Trust.

SHEFFIELD LYCEUM

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

WINDING WHEEL

March 1 Peter Andre in The Best of Frankie Valli

9 Chesterfield Record Fair. Open from 9 am to 2.30 pm, there will be more than 40 traders from around the country selling records to suit every taste. As well as vinyl there is a range of CDs, DVDs as well as rock and pop memorabilia. Something for every music and film buff.

Dethick, Lea & Holloway Horticultural Society talk. 7.30pm in the Florence Nightingale Hall, Lea. Martin and Jill Fish talk: “Gardening on the menu –through the seasons”. Martin will talk about his lifelong passion for growing vegetables, whilst Jill will suggest tempting recipes, with samples to taste! (Their books and preserves will be on sale). £2 entry for visitors.

14-16 Love Locker Launch Weekend at Thornbridge Estate. 10am-4pm. A very exciting weekend – the BBC and ITV will be filming! Thornbridge has rescued the 40,000 locks from the Bakewell bridge – the council were going to chop them off and melt them down, but Thornbridge said NO! They have designed a new structure for the locks called the Love Locker, the forever home of the Bakewell locks and a home for all the locks added in the future. For more information, please visit: www.thornbridgehall.co.uk

15-23 Half-Term History Makers at Bolsover Castle. 10am-4pm. Think you know all about medieval life? Think again! Be transported back in time through

interactive stories to discover more about what it takes to become a medieval knight or princess at Bolsover Castle. Step back in time to the 17th century during Britain’s Civil War. Be entertained by story telling and dressing up, from the stealing of the Crown Jewels to England’s smallest man. For more information, call 01246 822844

20 Wine Series: A Taste of the States at Peak Edge Hotel. Welcome to Chapter 9 of our Wine Series which is a celebration of USA wines – perfect for a wine tasting event. Wine production in the USA spans across all 50 states, but the most significant contributions come from California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and Virginia. Whether you are a seasoned wine enthusiast or new to the world of wine, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. For tickets and more information, visit www.peakedgehotel.co.uk

28 The Ultimate Tribute to Jersey Boys at Casa Hotel. Step back in time and relive the music from this magical era with a Jersey Boys Tribute at Casa Hotel. From the iconic harmonies to the legendary hits, be prepared for a night of nostalgia. £45 per person including a three-course dinner and DJ playing the best party tunes until 12am. For tickets and more information, call 01246 245999 or visit www.casahotels.co.uk

Mar 1 Peak District Artisans’ Showcase. Chatsworth is proud to welcome back Peak District Artisans to the Stables for a free showcase. Established in 1991, Peak District Artisans is an association of some of the finest professional artists, designer makers and contemporary artisans. This showcase offers a wealth of artistic diversity, ranging from works in oils and watercolours to collage, photography, ceramics and glass, silverware and jewellery, textiles, and wood. For more information, visit www.chatsworth.org

Mar 1 Music at Duffield Presents Ranagri at 7.30pm. St. Alkmund’s Church, Duffield, DE56 4BA. Ranagri is an award winning folk band from Ireland and England. Folk Radio UK placed one of their albums in their top 10 albums of 2022. For further details and future concerts, visit www.musicatduffield.com

Mar 4-5 Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football. Shrovetide Football is much longer than a regular football match and is played over two eight-hour periods. The goals are three miles apart and there are very few rules. The ball is rarely kicked and there is no set pitch: the game is played throughout the entire town, so shops and businesses board up their windows! The game starts on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday at 2pm, when the ball is ‘turned up’ from a stone plinth on Shaw Croft car park.

NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME SNOWDROP FESTIVAL

WE’RE kicking off the garden visiting season in Derbyshire with our annual Snowdrop Festival, a chance to get outside and visit beautiful winter gardens, writes Tracy Reid.

The Dronfield Heritage Centre is opening on Sunday, February 16 from 11am until 3.30pm. As well as the chance to walk round the gardens, there will be a specialist snowdrop sale and chance to join a garden tour and talk. There’s an on-site café offering lunches, hot drinks and cakes.

The Old Vicarage in Middleton by Wirksworth will be open on Saturday and Sunday, February 22 & 23, featuring snowdrops and hellebores. Home-made cakes will be available, with indoor seating available in the fernery.

On Sunday, March 2, Coxbench Hall will be open from 10-11.30am to share their display of spring bulbs. There will be home-made cakes to enjoy, along with hot drinks.

Details of all the gardens can be found at www.ngs.org.uk

SNOWDROP FACTS

It’s real name is Galanthus, which is Greek and means ‘milk flower’.

A single Galanthus ‘Golden Fleece’ sold for £1,390 on eBay in 2015.

There are more than 2,500 varieties of snowdrop. They are symbolic of spring and purity.

A substance within the plant, called galantamine, is used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease, although the bulbs themselves are poisonous.

SUBMIT YOUR LISTING OR EVENT

Please email your information including dates to whatson@reflections-magazine. com before February 17th, 2025, to appear in the March 2025 issue.

Above: You can enjoy the snowdrops in the garden at The Old Vicarage, in Middleton by Wirksworth, on February 22 or 23.